Work is continuing behind the scenes as the Isle of Wight moves towards implementing a two-tier education system.

Two schools that will run under the new system from September 2010 have already had temporary governing bodies established.

These are East Cowes Primary and Ventnor Voluntary Aided Primary.

The council also expects temporary governing bodies to be established for the new Cowes Secondary School and the new Newport Carisbrooke and Newport Fairlee secondary’s (one school run under a single body) in January 2010.

The temporary governing bodies will be responsible for ensuring the school is ready for when the new term starts in September 2010 for primary and September 2011 for secondary, which includes appointing a new headteacher and teaching staff. The temporary governing bodies will disband within three months of the school operating, when a full governing body will take over.

Meanwhile, the council can confirm that the Department for Children, Schools and Families have confirmed that proposed academies to replace the existing Sandown High and Ryde High schools will go ahead.

Isle of Wight Council Leader David Pugh said

“This excellent news from the DCSF about the academies means the council can bring forward additional revenue funding and also capital funding from the government.

“Some parents may think all the hard work is done in relation to the reorganisation now that the final decision has been made. The hard work is only really just beginning in relation to establishing new schools and new governing bodies for example.

“We have a timetable for the implementation and we are exactly where we expected to be at this part of the process”

The council has also been informed by the Church of England Diocese of Portsmouth and Winchester and the Catholic Diocese of Portsmouth that the temporary governing body of the new Ventnor Joint Faith Voluntary Aided Primary School has appointed Angela Hewkin as their Head Designate from September 2010.

Angela Hewkin is currently Corporate Headteacher at St Boniface C.E Primary (Controlled) and St Wilfrid’s Catholic Primary (Aided), both in Ventnor.  The Local Authority welcome this early appointment and is sure that Angela will bring her wide and successful experience of headship and community involvement to the development of the new primary school for all the Ventnor community.