Safeguard Scilly Students - a campaign for regulated Post 16 accommodation

Here is the funding the Council of the Isles of Scilly returned to the ESFA/DfE between 2018 and 2023.

A total of £225,987.28 was returned, despite many Isles of Scilly families facing substantial unavoidable costs in order for their children to access post-16 education on the mainland.

For families living elsewhere, choosing a college normally means a daily commute. For Isles of Scilly students, it normally means finding accommodation away from home from the age of 16.

Many families have spent thousands of pounds above the available grant. Some have relied on host families or private family arrangements because they were the only affordable option.

Host family arrangements work extremely well for some young people and families, and many students have had positive experiences. However, they are not suitable for everyone.

Families should have a genuine choice of safe, appropriate accommodation options. No young person should be limited to a particular arrangement simply because their family cannot afford an alternative.

The key question remains: if families were incurring significant additional costs and accommodation choice was being constrained by affordability, how was it determined that funding could be returned while those needs remained unmet?

Next week’s Full Council agenda includes a request to approve up to £794,320 of additional borrowing for the Town Hall redevelopment project.

At the same time, councillors continue to consider post-16 education, where officers have acknowledged that:

• most Isles of Scilly students must live on the mainland during term time to access post-16 education
• accommodation is therefore a practical necessity rather than a choice for most families
• many families continue to face substantial unavoidable travel and accommodation costs
• no assessment has been undertaken of the actual debt or out-of-pocket costs incurred by affected families

There also remains ongoing uncertainty regarding the residual 2024/25 post-16 funding. As many people will be aware, concerns have been raised about the possibility of this funding being returned to the Department for Education despite many families remaining significantly out of pocket for costs already incurred in enabling their children to access education.

Many residents may reasonably ask whether every available opportunity has been explored to support those families before any funding is returned and it is reasonable to ask how the Council prioritises its resources when local families continue to bear substantial financial costs simply to access educational opportunities that mainland families can reach from home.

For Isles of Scilly students, accommodation is not a choice, it is a necessity.

To keep everyone updated, this is the most recent correspondence sent regarding the proposed return of the residual 2024/25 post-16 funding following the initial email I sent on 27/04/2026.

The questions raised are straightforward and relate to:
• whether the Council assessed the actual costs families incurred
• on what basis the funding was considered “surplus”
• whether redistribution to affected families was considered
• and whether the funding would be used for the students it was originally allocated for

To date, no substantive response has been received.

Many Isles of Scilly families remain significantly out of pocket for unavoidable accommodation and travel costs required for their children to access post-16 education on the mainland.

This has never been about seeking special treatment. It is about fairness, transparency and ensuring funding intended for Scilly students is used for its intended purpose.

We continue to await clarity from the Council regarding the current position of the residual 2024/25 funding.

Tomorrow at Full Council, the first item on the agenda is the “Election of Chairman of Council for 2026/27”.

This is not simply a ceremonial role.

The Chairman has an important responsibility:

• to uphold standards and good governance
• to ensure proper scrutiny and accountability
• to challenge officers where necessary
• to ensure members are properly informed before important decisions are made
• and to represent the interests of the whole community fairly and transparently

From a Post-16 perspective, many of us feel these responsibilities have not been adequately exercised in recent years.

Families have spent years raising serious concerns regarding:

• safeguarding
• equality of access to education
• lack of accommodation oversight
• and the substantial financial burden being placed on island families simply to access compulsory post-16 education.

Many families remain significantly out of pocket for unavoidable accommodation and travel costs, despite funding having been allocated for those students.

At the same time, important questions remain unanswered regarding:

• how family costs have been assessed
• how decisions around residual funding have been made
• whether affected families were properly considered
• and whether sufficient transparency has been provided to members and the public.

Council members should think very carefully about tomorrow’s vote and the type of leadership the community now needs.

Strong governance is not about personalities, loyalties or maintaining the status quo. It is about integrity, accountability, transparency and the willingness to ask difficult questions when necessary.

If members do not believe a proposed candidate is the right person for the role, they should remember they are not obliged simply to endorse the only nomination placed before them.

Our community — and particularly our children and young people — deserve leadership that is effective, independent and prepared to stand up for island families.

Here is a link to the minutes of the recent scrutiny committee meeting:-

https://committees.scilly.gov.uk/documents/s32212/Minutes%2023042026%20Scrutiny%20Committee.pdf

The minutes of the update of the recent (VERY disappointing) Ofsted Monitoring visit start on Page 5, and the minutes of the Update on Post 16 start on Page 7.

Any families who have suffered so far with the inadequate Post 16 support/funding and anyone who has this journey ahead of them, please get in touch, we need to keep the momentum moving.

It is no problem if you want to remain anonymous due to working for the Council, or for any other reason, this will be guaranteed.

committees.scilly.gov.uk

🙏PLEASE keep sharing our posts 🙏

Following the recent Scrutiny Committee meeting, several important points are now firmly on the public record regarding Post-16 provision for Isles of Scilly students.

The Council confirmed:
• there is currently no on-island post-16 provision
• most young people must live on the mainland during term time
• Ofsted raised concerns about children living in homes where the Council has “limited assurance” of their safety and wellbeing
• there are “deficiencies and gaps” in current practice
• no assessment has been carried out of the debt and financial hardship experienced by families
• discussions with the DfE regarding residual funding are still ongoing

‼️Importantly, members also challenged why over £65,000 of unspent funding from the 2024/25 cohort could potentially be returned to the DfE whilst families remain significantly out of pocket for essential travel and accommodation costs‼️

As Cllr Tim Dean rightly pointed out:
➡️ it is not truly an “underspend” if families have already incurred those costs themselves.

Families have repeatedly made clear that:
• relocation is not optional
• accommodation is essential to accessing education
• and many parents have taken on substantial debt simply to comply with compulsory participation requirements.

We will continue asking:
❓How can funding be considered surplus before the actual costs borne by families have even been assessed?

Thank you to everyone continuing to support this campaign.



Michael Charles Daily Express BBC Cornwall Cornwall Live Department for Education Bridget Phillipson Children's Commissioner for England ITV News West Country

Here is a copy of the letter I have just emailed to the Council of the Isles of Scilly, copying in the DCS, all council members and Andrew George MP, seeking clarification on the proposed return of underspent funding from the 2024/25 academic year.

This funding was provided to support students who must relocate during term time to access education, and many families have incurred significant costs in doing so.

The letter below sets out a number of questions regarding:
• how the Council has assessed actual costs to families
• why this funding is considered surplus
• and whether it should instead be allocated to the students it was intended for

Given the importance of this issue for affected families, I believe it is important that these questions are answered transparently ahead of any final decision.

👇 Full letter below: