AFTER learning Wroxall Primary School is among six earmarked for potential closure by the Isle of Wight council, as the local authority looks to tackle the issue of surplus pupil numbers, parents in the village have had their say.

Earlier this week, the Isle of Wight Council revealed six Island schools are at risk of closure, with Cowes, Arreton, Oakfield, Brading, Wroxall and Godshill primary schools all under threat.

Before a final decision on closures is made, a consultation process is due to follow, pending approval from the council's Cabinet.

Any closures are likely to take effect from August 31 next year.

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Among those to voice their concerns following the shock announcement was Wayne Sheath, a floor layer who has two children studying at Wroxall Primary School.

“The closure is going to be terrible for the parents, teachers and the wider community,” said Wayne.

“We have a lot of children who come from other areas to study here.

“The way the community is, it’s quite an elderly village, quite quiet, and we’ve lost a lot of businesses over the last ten years.

“I was one of the first to come to the school in 1987 and I have two kids here now.

“If the school closes, Wroxall is going to be nothing – it’s going to fall apart.

“The school is the heartbeat of the village. We lose the school, we lose everything.

“Young people aren’t going to want to move and live in Wroxall if there’s no school.”

Another to speak to the County Press was Molly Wadmore, who moved to Wroxall to start a family.

Molly Wadmore and her two children outside Wroxall Primary School.Molly Wadmore and her two children outside Wroxall Primary School. (Image: County Press)

She said: “I’m born and bred on the Island, originally from Cowes, and my husband and I moved to Wroxall around six years ago.

“We weren’t going to come to Wroxall, but we saw this house, and we saw this beautiful school at the end of the road, and we thought: how fantastic to start a family here.

“It’s been wonderful for the last year, and now this bombshell has hit, and we’re absolutely devastated.

“It’s not just a school, it’s a community; it’s a family. We’re all in it together and it’s so sad.

“We haven’t got a lot of options if the school closes and we’re a single-car household.

“Logistically, it’s going to be really difficult. We bought our house specifically for this school and the teachers have been amazing.

“You can’t fault the school one bit.”