Education reveals one-school comparisons

Tuesday 27 August 2019

Education has responded to calls for side-by-side comparative details for one-school, three-school and four-school models.

Financial comparisons of a number of educational models were requested by Deputies Andrea Dudley-Owen, Rob Prow and Carl Meerveld to help inform September's debate on the future of secondary and post-16 education.

Officers from Education, Sport & Culture have now provided that information, which they say proves that the annual running costs of the one school/two colleges model are lower than any other model, while the capital costs are less expensive than the three-school model, which would require the rebuild of La Mare de Carteret, and of a similar costs to the  maintaining the status quo, which would also require significant renovations or rebuilds, especially at La Mare and Les Varendes. 

Pictured: Education's summary of capital costs.

ESC said its proposed model is the best way to ensure equality of opportunity and the broadest possible curriculum across academic, vocational and professional studies. 

"At 11-16, assuming the same costs and average class sizes, the greatest curriculum breadth can be provided under the one school/two colleges model, followed by the three school model, with the four school models presenting the most challenges and restricted curriculum options."

"At 16-18, existing provision would continue under either four school option. The three school model would allow more combinations of options and better facilitate mixed pathways between academic, vocational and technical qualifications. The one school/two colleges model could retain the existing curriculum breadth and allow mixed pathways in conjunction with The Guernsey Institute, but would require a small number of students to move between sites. There is an additional cost to retaining this curriculum breadth over two sites because some classes would be duplicated. This is factored into revenue costs."

Pictured: Some of the costs associated with the one-school model are offset by the sites it will enable Education to hand back to the States for alternative use or sale. 

"Further and Higher education is currently offered across five sites, all with very small numbers. This is inefficient and compromises student experience.

"The three school model proposed combining the 16-18 aspects of the College of Further Education with the sixth form, while retaining a Further and Higher Education Institute at Les Ozouets.

"This would split provision in a way that was widely criticised by professionals working at the College of Further Education. The one school/two colleges proposal brings together all further and higher education providers including the GTA and the Institute of Health and Social Care on one, purpose-built site, at Les Ozouets."