About us

The first choice for Island parents

The Island Free School is an exciting new secondary school for the Isle of Wight, which is in the process of being set up by highly experienced teachers, parents and members of the local business community. We are united through our passion for education and life long learning – and have a shared vision of a dynamic, creative and high achieving school, where all students are nurtured and valued.

This will be a smaller, more intimate school than the others on the Island, with an excellent staff to pupil ratio. We have four highly respected senior teachers on board – you can read more about the team here.

We are also pleased to be joined by key members of the Island business community, and many parents who are committed to providing the very best for their children – and the rest of the Island.

Our mission statement

This will be an inspirational, high achieving and caring school. We will raise expectations and encourage independent thinking, so that every student reaches their full potential.

• Students will follow an academic curriculum enhanced by sports, creative and community activities. 
•  As a music specialist school, everyone will have the opportunity to play an instrument.
• Our students will feel valued and proud to be part of the learning community.
•  We will expect students to work hard and behave in an exemplary way.
•  And we will provide unrivalled teaching, resources and pastoral care.

That’s why our motto is nulli secundus. In Latin, that means ‘second to none’.

Our seven point promise

1 We are a caring school and small enough for each student to be known by every member of staff. All students will be encouraged to reach their full potential, with academic and pastoral support.

2 Students will be offered a disciplined grammar school education in a comprehensive setting. The curriculum will be built around the core subjects and the English Baccalaureate.

3 Our students will be encouraged to think for themselves. We value creativity and artistry and every student will benefit from our expertise in music (we are a music specialist school).

4 We are ambitious and have the highest expectations of students and staff. We will ensure that students make good to outstanding progress in all areas, through rigorous, robust monitoring.

5 We are innovative. Our school day will be longer than others, with a mandatory hour at the end of the day for extra curricular enrichment activities and supported learning.

6 All our teachers are passionate about learning and have a proven track record. Staff are our most valuable asset and we will ensure that they feel valued and supported through an outstanding recruitment and retention package.

7 We are an Island school for Island families, giving parents a real choice for their children’s education. We will involve parents and the wider community to create a school that we can all be proud of – a school that is nulli secundus (second to none).