Parents just want ESC to get on with it

Wednesday 08 May 2019

Drop in sessions to discuss the upcoming changes in secondary education are aimed at reassuring parents that their children's education will be disrupted as little as possible.

A pupil transition plan which has already been devised in line with the two school model should mean that students experience as few drastic site changes as possible.

The changes to secondary education which were voted through in 2016 have already begun to take effect, as students will for the first time this year not have the option of sitting the 11+ to be streamed into one of the traditional secondary schools, colleges or Grammar. 

A policy letter to secure funding for the project which will see Les Beaucamps and St Sampson's transformed into the two main sites for the secondary and sixth form centres will be brought to the States shortly. 

Executive Head Teacher of the new two site secondary school, Liz Coffey, said there had been a drop-in session in October and while there were no significant developments to inform parents of since that time, it was still important to reassure parents. 

"88% of students don't need to move but if we want to minimise student movement we've got to make sure we've got the buildings ready. 

Pictured: A fact sheet explaining transitions for applicable students in the coming years. 

"At the moment we're in the middle of the staffing structure. We set up the SETS group and we come together every three weeks and engage with them. 

"I've had about six groups speak to me so far this evening and the questions we're seeing are mainly interested on how this will affect their children, they're happy it's happening they just want to see the detail. There's lots to do of course, it still isn't finished," she said.

Mrs Coffey said she had not seen evidence to say teachers were leaving the island because of uncertainty surrounding their jobs. 

"All teachers have the opportunity to be considered for a position. I wouldn't say it's a particular concern in retaining high quality staff. We've always found it difficult to employ Maths and Physics teachers for example and there's the licensing issues as well. 

"But for example when we advertised for the Deputy Head post we had nearly 50 applicants, people are seeing that it is an exciting time of change," she said. 

Pictured: Information provided about older students attending sixth form and further education. 

The lack of selection at 11-18 is something that Mrs Coffey feels strongly about, she said that any students going away to study or work should not worry that their CV will no longer state they went to a private college or Grammar school. 

"We're encouraging students to write a blurb about the system of education in the islands, the schools may have been an advantage in the past for some employers but certainly not ever in higher education in any place, that's what this is about," she said. 

Mrs Coffey said that the figures for those in private education such as the colleges in the UK is around 6% whereas typically that figure has been around 30% in Guernsey. 

"As of this September there are more students coming into the States system than we expected, so we've got to account for that, it's 50 children, it means we've got to slightly readjust the set of numbers.

Pictured: Matt Fallaize and the two school sites. 

"We thought the numbers of places which would be bought out would go up but they've gone down," she said. 

President of Education Sport and Culture, Matt Fallaize said there had been much talk over the past 4-5 years about education and parents now want to see the plan progress. 

"People just want the States to get on with it now. We're able to tell parents quite a lot now in terms of the way in which the schools and colleges will operate. 

"We've been on a journey and we've been gradually putting in place the process of. the new model but there's a lot to do," he said. 

Pictured above: Matt Fallaize and Liz Coffey. 

There will be a drop-in session held today at Beau Sejour 15:00-20:00.