"On the 27th of August you wrote to the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, other States’ members and the media claiming that in the 2019/20 academic year average class sizes in Year 7 at St Sampson’s High School would be increased from 24 students to 28 students.

"Your claim is wholly incorrect. It is unfortunate that you chose to publicise this false information before establishing whether it was accurate. In doing so you will doubtless have provoked much unfounded concern among parents of children due to start at St Sampson’s High School next week and possibly also among staff at the school."

Pictured: Deputy Matt Fallaize. 

From this September onwards, Guernsey has adopted an all ability secondary school system, with the majority of pupils going to a catchment high school on one of four sites - St Sampson's High, Les Beaucamps, La Mare de Carteret and the former Grammar School site. ESC has previously said class sizes will not be increasing under this system compared to what they were under the previous selective system.

The letter further explains that in September 2018 the average class size in Year 7 at St Sampson’s High School was 23.2. In September 2019, ESC says it will be 23.9. "This is in accordance with existing policies on class sizes," writes Deputy Fallaize, who also insists class sizes are not going to increase when the secondary school system moves across to the new model based on just two sites.

"Furthermore, I have stated on many occasions - and it is stated in the Committee’s Policy Letter which will be debated by the States next week - the new model of secondary education agreed by the States last year requires no change to existing class size."

Deputy Fallaize's letter to Deputy Meerveld can be read in full HERE.