The Department of Education and Children (DEC) is formally consulting the public over its plan to co-locate two primary schools.

It was announced in June that the Department proposes to move St Thomas’ Church of England Primary School to the same site as Scoill Vallajeelt from September 2018.

A notice formally advertising the proposal, and inviting comment, will appear in local newspapers this week, as required by the Education Act 2001.

St Thomas’ School, in Finch Road, Douglas, dates back to 1875, and its facilities are inadequate for modern-day education. The town centre site is surrounded on all sides, making redevelopment or expansion difficult and expensive.

Scoill Vallajeelt opened in Meadow Crescent, Douglas, in 1992, accommodating 142 pupils. As pupil numbers grew, a large extension was added in 2005. However, the number of pupils attending has dropped significantly as fewer young families have moved to the catchment area. 

The school has a permanent capacity for 350 pupils, with 200 currently registered, meaning it could easily accommodate St Thomas’ 61 pupils.

Under co-location, both would retain their names, identities, headteachers, teachers and governors.

St Thomas’ would remain a Church of England school.

The co-location has the support of both schools’ governing bodies.

Meetings have already been held between the DEC and parents of the two schools. A further meeting takes place next week.

For full details of the proposed co-location, visit www.gov.im/colocation.