Campaigners hoping to prevent the closure of Brading CE Primary School have met with Cllr Joe Robertson MP - ahead of a critical Cabinet vote this Thursday (March 20).
The Member of Parliament for Isle of Wight East told the meeting [on Friday March 14, 2025] of local people he believes Brading Primary has a “very strong case” for staying open.
The meeting at the Brading Community Partnership hub on the town’s High Street, was organised by Nick Binfield and Kate Benson, and attended by 20 campaigners.
The group is calling on the IW Council’s Cabinet members to look very carefully at issues of deprivation and social impacts on Brading's families; and the quality of the consultation process.
Local campaigner and parent with two children at the school, Nick Binfield, said:
“There is huge concern around the proposed closure from the parents and families that I speak with on a regular basis around the lack of transparency and a constant moving of the goalposts for the criteria.
“Deprivation is a serious concern - 50 per cent of children at Brading receive free school meals and there are also issues with transport to the two alternate schools, both under the 2-mile radius.
"There will be very limited help for families with transport costs, significantly impacting the most disadvantaged.
“We feel that Brading has been singled out and our concerns have not been listened to or considered in any depth.”
Campaigners say they have consistently applied pressure by writing to councillors, submitting questions, asking questions at council meetings.
Cllr Joe Robertson MP said:
“I’ve taken a position on each of the schools in the East Wight which are due to potentially close. My view is that none of the three of them should close, but for different reasons.
“Brading has a very strong case for staying open and I’ve made my opinions very clear both publicly but also behind the scenes directly with the Council.”
Also attending the meeting was a representative from the Diocese of Portsmouth which owns the school.
Rob Sanders, Deputy Director of Education, Diocese of Portsmouth:
“Our position has been very clear throughout that we object to the selection of our three schools, the Bishop has been very public in his opposition and we’ve had some very robust meetings with councillors.
“We understand the Council’s challenge and that there is a need to review surplus school places but there’s been no clarity of criteria for identifying schools and there’s been no consistency.
“We are very serious about our intentions to challenge that decision, should it be made.”
The campaign group intends to rally the many local supporters to fund-raise towards helping the Diocese fund any Judicial Review.
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