A four-week consultation about the future of secondary education on the Island has been opened.

Schools bosses want to hear from parents and residents about changes which are in the pipeline for next year.

Currently, plans propose the Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey is closed and and replaced by two new academies ran by Leigh Academy Minster (LAM) and EKC Sheppey Secondary (EKCSS) from September 1.

Should the project be given the green light, all existing pupils at Oasis will need to apply for a place at either of the new schools and places will be allocated “in accordance with the schools’ admission and over-subscription criteria”.

The consultation was started on Monday and will run for four weeks until December 4 at 5pm.

Statistics from the information pack show the schools, which are currently split into two separate sites, serve 1,526 pupils – including 786 boys and 740 girls.

Currently, Oasis Academy has a total capacity of 390 pupils per year group, but none of these year groups are at capacity with the largest year being made up of 319 pupils.

As a result, the two new secondary schools would offer a total of 330 places per year group.

A report said: “Oasis is currently operating across the two campuses. Pupils in Years 7 and 8 – currently 577 pupils – are primarily based on the Sheerness Campus with other year groups being based at the Minster site, which has 809 pupils in years 9 to 11 and 148 in sixth form.

“The two campuses are approximately 2.3 miles apart and this arrangement necessitates travel across the Island.

“The new provision will offer a capacity of 750 pupils on the Sheerness campus, run by EKCSS, and a capacity of 900 pupils plus 250 sixth form places on the Minster Campus, which will be run LAM.”

The current Oasis campuses in Minster and Sheerness has received criticism from parents and Ofsted, which rated the school “inadequate” last year.

In a damning report, inspectors painted a shocking picture of bullies running out of control terrifying pupils, "foul, homophobic, racist and sexist language" going unchecked, a lack of permanent teachers and more than half of pupils not even bothering to turn up for lessons.

Despite slight improvements, the school failed to improve its rating during a follow-up inspection by the education watchdog this year.

Education expert and former head teacher Peter Read said Leigh Academies Trust has a great record of turning schools around.

"Oasis has tried various models to make it work all of which have been failures,” he said. “Including the rotating door of principals, which hasn't helped.

“The Ofsted report of June 2022 is by some way the worst and most disgraceful I have ever seen in my 18 years of monitoring the performance of Kent schools.

"There is no doubt that running a school on two sites several miles apart has not helped.

"The proposed model of two schools run by two strong trusts looks like a promising try. EKC, a newish trust on the block with just four primary schools to its name, however, has a strong educational background, most relevantly EKC Sheppey Further Education College, so it knows the territory.”

Sittingbourne and Sheppey MP Gordon Henderson previously said: “This is excellent news and is exactly what I have been pressing for since 2010. Two separate schools, run by two different academy trusts. I am delighted.”

The consultation is structured into multiple parts. The first part relates to the proposed closure of Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey (OAIoS), and feedback can be provided by emailing OAISConsultation@Oasisuk.org or by sending a written response to the address listed in the

consultation pack.

It is looking for people’s opinions on the approach to closing Oasis on Sheppey and any further comments on the proposed arrangements for closure.

The second part of the consultation focuses on the opening of two new academies, Leigh Academy Minster (LAM) and EKC Sheppey Secondary (EKCSS), which will replace Oasis.

Participants can share their views by completing an online form or by sending a letter to the provided address of Leigh Academies Trust.

Responses must be submitted by the 4th of December 2023, at 5:00 pm. This consultation also includes a concurrent consultation on admissions policies for both new schools.

There is also a separate consultation pack in relation to the proposed opening of a satellite of Snowfields Academy on the island which will specifically provide places for secondary students with the main need of autism.

Both of the consultation packs can be found online here.

Parents can find out more about the two new schools at information evenings which are being held over the next few weeks.

EKC Sheppey Secondary - Wednesday 15th November (Drop in between 2pm – 7pm). Hosted at EKC Sheppey College, ME12 1HL

Leigh Academies Minster - Tuesday 14th and Thursday 23rd November, 5.00pm - 6.30pm. At Oasis Academy Isle of Sheppey, Minster Campus, Minster Road, Minster on Sea, Sheerness, ME12 3JQ.