Cllr David Pugh, Leader of the Council

and All Members of the Isle of Wight Council

County Hall
High Street
Newport
Isle of Wight PO30 1UD

9th May 2011

Dear Cllr Pugh and Council Members,

Discretionary Concessionary Fares for Travel to Faith Schools

As serving clergy and other Christian representatives on the Island from a range of
denominations, we write to register with you our profound concern about the proposal of
the Council to end all discretionary concessionary fares for pupils attending faith schools on
the Island.

We have greatly welcomed the professed support of the Council in the past for the role that
faith education, including the inauguration of Christ the King College, could play in providing
a much valued service to the Christian community on the Island and in driving up more
widely the standards of achievement of the education system. It would be unhelpful and be
perceived as sending out quite the wrong messages for the Council now to change tack and
withdraw this support from Christian families all over the Island. It would be unfortunate to
have created the opportunity for parents to have the choice of a faith education, as
encouraged by Government policy nationally, and then to deny them the means to exercise
that choice.

We appreciate the desire of the Council to manage its resources prudently, but this
particular proposal risks causing great distress and hardship to many Christian families who
may have several children in the faith sector, or aspiring to attend faith schools. Due to the
wider economic situation, such families may be facing a period of no growth in incomes,
rising taxes nationally and locally, and the withdrawal of many benefits. Redundancies and
business closures are also a realistic prospect for many people.

Families have in many cases chosen the location of their homes based upon existing travel
arrangements. Historically the location of Christ the King College, and its predecessor
schools Trinity and Archbishop King Middle Schools, in Wellington Road, Newport, were
significantly influenced by the need to work with the Council’s school travel arrangements.

We know that our faith communities around the Island are deeply concerned by the possible
impact of the latest proposals both upon family finances and upon the future sustainability of
faith schools should pupil numbers be reduced in future as parents find travel costs
prohibitive.

We will respond in more detail individually to your consultation document, but we did want
to let you know without delay just how strongly we feel on this issue.

We do hope, therefore, that you will pause for further reflection and not bring forward
these divisive proposals at this most sensitive time.

Yours sincerely,

Signed by:

The Ven Caroline Baston Fr John Ryder SSC

Archdeacon of the Isle of Wight Vicar, Godshill

Fr Gerard Flynn Revd Marie Attwood

Roman Catholic Coordinating Pastor Methodist Minister Ryde & Binstead
Isle of Wight Pastoral Area
The Reverend Phyl N Fanning
Rev’d Tony Richards Superintendent Minister
Assistant Curate West Wight Circuit
Christchurch and St John the Evangelist, Methodist Church Great Britain
Sandown
Rev’d James Leggett
Revd Christopher Etherton Minister, St. James’ Church
Priest in Charge Ryde
Binstead and Havenstreet
Fr Brian Coogan
Revd David Hinks RC Parish Priest, St David's
Assistant Curate East Cowes
St Mary the Virgin Cowes and Holy Trinity
Cowes Janet Day
Hon Secretary Parochial Church Council
Rev Kath Abbott St Mary the Virgin
Rector of Wootton Carisbrooke

Canon Andrew Menniss Deacon Peter Doran

Vicar of Holy Trinity Church St Thomas of Canterbury
Bembridge Newport

Revd Philip Allen Rev Jonathan Snell

Vicar of St. Paul's Church Pastor of New Hope Christian Fellowship
Shanklin Isle of Wight

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Rev Adrian Redfearn Revd Malcolm Stinton
Castlehold Baptist Church Methodist Minister for Gunville, Cowes,
Newport East Cowes, Wootton, & Arreton

Fr Brian Coogan Pastor Paul Ras

RC Parish Priest, St David's The Apex at St Faith's
East Cowes Cowes

Revd John Miles Chris Reddecliff

Minister Director of Schoolswork and Outreach
Cowes Baptist Church Isle Of Wight Youth For Christ

Rob Whillier Gillian Murray

Wight Church Network Coordinator Lay Reader, St. Mary's Church
Cowes

Rev Fr Anthony Glaysher

Rev'd Mark Whatson
Parish Priest, St Mary’s, Ryde
St Michael’s, Bembridge & Rector of Freshwater and Yarmouth
Holy Cross, Seaview
Rev Graham Akers
Roger H Moseley Minister Emeritus
Priest Newport Congregational Church
Church of England
Rev Chris Lane
Fr Michael Purbrick Chaplain
RC Parish Priest, St Thomas of Canterbury Carisbrooke Priory
Cowes
Rev Father Paul James Smith
Revd Janet Hallam Parish Priest of the South Wight Catholic
Assistant Curate Parishes of Sandown, Shanklin and Ventor
Newport Minster and St John's

Please respond to:

Saint Winifred’s
Cliff Road
Totland Bay
Isle of Wight PO39 0BH
T: 01983 754547
M: 07802 445376
E: chris.whitehouse@whitehouseconsulting.co.uk

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