A spokesperson for the Church of England Diocese of Portsmouth said: “Yarmouth CofE Primary School is a successful, high achieving school, which is valued by the community. We appreciate that any proposals of this kind can cause huge concern to that community.

“The Diocese of Portsmouth supports the governors’ proposal to relocate Yarmouth CofE Primary School to the current All Saints’ CofE Primary School site, as it believes it is the best solution to enable the Isle of Wight Council to achieve the best long-term, economically viable option to provide high quality education to the pupils of the West Wight area. Whenever considerations about the viability of a school, linked to pupil placements or other matters occurs, the diocese or the Local Authority initiates discussions with the other partner in order to explore all options.

“Should the proposal go ahead, we will be working closely with the governors and IW Council to ensure the education and wellbeing of pupils attending both All Saints and Yarmouth CofE Primary Schools will remain the highest priority.

“We have heard some concern about the future of St James’ Church in Yarmouth. We can confirm that there are no plans to close this church. A recent reorganisation of parishes in the West Wight area included the appointment of a team vicar with specific responsibility for the churches in Freshwater, Totland and Yarmouth, which affirmed our commitment to Christian mission and ministry in this area.”

November 2019