Too few Cowes Enterprise College places prompt school appeals

He is among a group of year six children who live within walking distance of the academy school, but who have been unable to get a place there.

Mitchell has known his best friends for four years which, when you're 10, is a lifetime and he says they're "really nice."

He's the only one in his group who won't be going and he told the County Press: "I missed two years with my friends because of Covid and now they're going to go to a different school and I'll be all by myself."

In 2018, Cowes Enterprise College revealed a plan to cut its intake from 270, to 210 because there were too many secondary school places on the Island.

Fast forward to 2021 and of those 210 places, the County Press understands more than 80 have gone to the siblings of children already at the school.

Of those, around 20 live outside the Cowes and East Cowes area.

Cowes North councillor Richard Quigley says there are more than 250 children who would consider the Ormiston Trust-run academy their closest school.

He says the maths does not add up: "You've got a school that was originally built for up to 300 pupils per year.

"I have sympathy for why the school intake has dropped, because of the way budgets work, but that doesn't help the families living locally who can't get their kids in."

Cowes North councillor Richard Quigley

Cowes Enterprise College says it has a waiting list of 90 and is dealing with 28 appeals.

It says it has been in talks with council education bosses about offering more places than its set number, using Growing Schools funding.

However, in a letter to parents, it says the request to access that cash was dismissed by the local authority.

The council's position is that the Ormiston Trust should fund the places itself.

Incumbent member for education, Councillor Paul Brading, said all schools can admit more students than planned using LAG (local action group) funding, but there are no additional funds at County Hall.

Stuck in the middle, are the families who face appeal hearings this week.

Christina Howard, who is among those attending, is urging the panel to put children first.

Her daughter is due to start secondary school in September.

Christina said: "My 11-year-old attends Northwood Primary.

"We only wrote down Cowes because we assumed we would get in.

"March 1 came around and we got the letter to say she'd been refused a place.

"My daughter's very anxious about it. It's been a hard year - so we're appealing."

Instead of walking to school, as things stand, Christina's daughter would need to get a bus to Newport and a connecting bus to Medina College, where she has been allocated a place.

What's more, the Isle of Wight Council will need to fund the hour-long journey, which only takes 20 minutes to drive, because the school is not her nearest.

Christina said: "Cowes has always been that natural choice and all Northwood parents think it's the next step in education.

"It's been a real shock not to get a place."

Elsewhere, Ryde Academy and The Bay CE have increased places for September 2021, while Medina College and Christ the King both recently cut back.

In September 2020, when parents were trying to arrange transport during an overhaul of the Island's school bus network, the local authority urged parents to apply for the school nearest them, so travel was minimised.

Cllr Quigley, who won his council seat on May 6, said: "The argument's distilled down to where's the money coming from and it's an argument that needs resolving.

"You've got a wealthy academy trust and an education authority with access to a future growth fund.

"What we need is for someone to say 'yes, we're going to do it for this year' and change the pan number for years to come."

Cowes Enterprise Academy

When places were announced in March, the County Press revealed 10 per cent of families did not get their preferred secondary school.

For those who missed out, because places were oversubscribed, a space was allocated at the next nearest.

Andy Gallop is also appealing after only choosing Cowes Enterprise College - a walk away - and being allocated Medina.

He said: "We assumed he would be going to Cowes. Which you do, if you live in Cowes.

"The trust is obviously not poor.

"They're not asking to be given the money - it's an advance.

"Surely they could advance themselves the money?"

Andy has questioned the consultation process that led to the reduction in numbers in the first place - three years before this cohort were due to attend the secondary school.

He does not think parents were given a fair chance and faces a similar problem when his younger children reach secondary school age.

"Unsettling position" - Cowes Enterprise College

A spokesperson for Cowes Enterprise College said: "Whilst we are pleased to see the academy has become the school of choice for so many parents, we recognise the over-subscription for available places has generated some concern.

"Many parents are looking for resolution through the appeals panels and others have placed themselves on the waiting list in case vacancies arise. This is an unsettling position for them to be in.

"Unfortunately, to take in all the additional students would stretch the academy beyond our current available staffing and classroom capacity and devalue the experience for those students already at the school."

The Isle of Wight Council and Cowes Enterprise College say talks are continuing.

Councillor Quigley said: "I'll keep pushing as hard as I can. There's no excuse for nothing to happen.

"Don't give up. Go to your appeals. Be very strong. We'll make a noise together, because this isn't going to go away."