Isle of Wight MP Bob Seely has written to the Secretary of State for Education, Kit Malthouse, to ask for an update on funding that the Island is set to receive through the Education Investment Area scheme.
Seely wrote: “I am asking the Government for an outline of what work has been undertaken as part of the Island’s investment area funding, and to set out, where possible, a timeline for how further funding will be delivered.”
Since February 2022, the Isle of Wight has been one of 55 local authorities designated as an Education Investment Area (EIA) on the basis of its standardised KS2 and KS4 composite measure.
Education Investment Areas receive additional government support, including retention payments for teachers, and reserve the option to move schools into multi-academy trusts if they are rated less than ‘good’ in successive Ofsted inspections. Schools in these designated areas will also be prioritised for access to pilot schemes and will receive support in tackling wider issues, such as truancy.
Seely requested that the Government “now set out a more detailed timeline for how it will improve results on the Island; how it will deliver Investment Area funding and support on the Island; and indeed, what further intervention is possible at this time.”
The scheme was introduced in line with the Government’s objective to ensure that 90% of children leaving primary school in England are reaching the expected standard of reading, writing and maths by 2030.
Seely also enquired about the possibility that the Isle of Wight might be designated as a Priority Education Investment area. To the Secretary of State for Education, he wrote: “Whilst I welcome the funds available for the Island through Education Investment Areas, I would ask what provision can be made for the Island to qualify as a Priority Education Investment Area as a result of its exceptional circumstances.”
The Island has already benefitted from increased access to education funding. In April 2021, Isle of Wight College was one of sixteen areas to receive a portion of the £1.5 billion Further Education Capital Transformation Fund.
In December 2021, Isle of Wight College was included in an Institute for Technology scheme for the Solent area. This scheme allowed for collaboration between further education providers, universities and employers, with employers at the heart of decision-making, curriculum development and delivery. This is part of the Government’s plan to reform technical training to help employers access the skilled workforce they need and offer local people more rewarding and higher paid careers. This scheme has allowed access to funding in the region of £2 million, which has been used to upgrade IW College’s facilities.
IW College also received £25 million in government investment, allowing them to transform their facilities and enabling them to offer new qualifications, such as T-levels. The College also received permission to adopt the title ‘University Centre Isle of Wight’, in recognition of its university-level courses in areas including business, engineering, early years education and teacher training.
The Isle of Wight Council also won £800,000 of Special Educational Needs funding and, immediately after entering parliament, Seely successfully campaigned against the closure of Sandown school.
Seely concluded his letter by saying that he “look[s] forward to working with [the Secretary of State] to further ensure that all children on the Island have access to a quality education.”
