Guernsey’s best primary schools?

Tuesday 20 November 2018

A list, claiming to rank the top ten primary schools in Guernsey, has appeared online - with no clues given as to who wrote it, or what criteria they've based it on.

It names Elizabeth College Junior School as the best primary school in the island, with Amherst second and Notre Dame du Rosaire third – however the online list is littered with errors and offers no evidence to prove why some schools are ranked higher than others.

Vale Primary ranked sixth out of ten on this list, but the comment attached to the school's listing includes details about pupils at Vauvert Primary instead.

Pictured: Is Vale the 6th best primary school in Guernsey, or Vauvert?

La Houguette, St Martins (accompanied by a picture of girls in the Ladies College uniform), La Mare de Carteret, the Ladies College Lower School, Vale Primary (referencing Vauvert in the description however), St Mary and St Michael, Castel, Notre Dame, Amherst and Elizabeth College Junior School make up the full top ten list.

Some parents have seen this as validation their child's school is 'one of the best' with many sharing the list locally. However, questions persist about who wrote the list and what criteria they based it on.

Efforts by Express to contact the authors have so far been unsuccessful. A Facebook page linked with the 'top most 10 of everything' website was only recently set up and  neither the Facebook page or the website offers a telephone number or email to reach those behind them.

The pages also list the top ten schools in other jurisdictions including St Lucia and Northern Mariana, as well as lists claiming the richest people in Guernsey and other places.

The Guernsey rich list is again littered with errors, but it does feature well known high net worth individuals who live in the island and who regularly appear on the Sunday Times Rich List which is considered more credible. 

Pictured: A rich list for Guernsey contained no surprises. 

The top ten schools list was more unusual though, because the States of Guernsey does not list its ‘best primary schools’ anywhere on the island’s government website and previous States committees have refused to say which school performed best at certain criteria, including how may pupils from a primary school in a set year group achieved a scholarship to one of the colleges or a place at the Grammar School.

Each primary school is validated independently with Amherst and Forest primary schools among those receiving positive feedback this year.

PIctured: Guernsey's schools aren't ranked but praise is always given when due, with the States commissioning independent validation of all schools regularly. 

While attempts to contact the author of the top ten list of primary schools in Guernsey has so far proven fruitless, the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture was quick to respond - and to rubbish the rankings.

“No ESC was not involved. We do not rank our schools and would advise the community against taking any notice of the rankings on this site. We have no further comment,” said ESC in a brief statement. 

Pictured top: Guernsey's top ten primary schools, but decided by who?