A community effort to save Chillerton and Rookley Primary School from closure is gathering momentum.

The Save Our School committee is making a business case to Isle of Wight Council, with plans to transform Chillerton and Rookley into a school specialising in 'flexible-schooling'.

Flexi-schooling sees children are registered in the usual way, but attending part time.

For the rest of the time, the child is home-educated.

There has been a 21 per cent rise in parents choosing to home school their children on the Isle of Wight, bringing the total to over three per cent, compared to the national average of less than one per cent.

Earlier this year, the Isle of Wight Council said the school is open with just 34 pupils in a school built for 91 and it recieved no first preference applications for the 2021/22 academic year. It also has an estimated budget deficit of around £101,000 for 2020/21, which is forecast to grow to £225,000 by 2023 due to a decline in pupil numbers.

A spokesperson for Save Our School said: "There is such a huge demand for flexi-schooling on our Island, from parents who feel their children are not ready for full-time school, to home educators who need more structured support.

"It would be of such a great benefit to our whole Island Community."

The Stenbury Federation has proposed the closure of Chillerton and Rookley Primary School resulting in the local authority seeking the public’s views via an informal consultation.

The report will be presented by officials at an unspecified date.