"Valuable insight" gained from meetings with students

Monday 25 June 2018

A series of meetings between members of Education, Sport & Culture and students in secondary schools has provided valuable insight, Deputy Matt Fallaize has said.

The Committee has recently visited the three high schools, the Grammar School & Sixth Form Centre, and Le Murier – a visit to Les Voies is scheduled for July – to speak to students about the reforms to secondary and post-16 education agreed by the States in January.

Head teachers helped tailor each visit so that it provided the best opportunity for meaningful engagement with each school’s student population.

Deputy Fallaize, President of Education, Sport & Culture, said students expressed many positives about the new model of secondary and post-16, but also understandably raised some areas of concern.

"I’d like to thank the teachers and students who gave up their time to make the sessions constructive and useful," he said.

"The Committee is delighted that so many students are eager to play a part in shaping how the one school in two colleges operates, and was equally pleased that they felt able to be very open and honest about both what excites and concerns them about the new model."

The deputies who met with the students have compiled a list of areas where they were both supportive, and concerned, they are as follows:

Areas where students were supportive included: 

• The broader range of subject choices and extra-curricular opportunities which will be available in larger schools
• The possibility of enhancing the range of support staff in larger schools, as a result of more resources concentrated in one place, e.g. school nurses, careers advice, mental health support.
• The new model providing greater likelihood of students not being separated from friends between primary and secondary schools.

 Ares of concern, or where strong views were expressed, included:

• The need for every student to be recognised and their welfare looked after in larger schools.  
• The need for interaction between the two colleges but at the same time building the identity of each.  
• The desirability of separate social spaces for each year group, given the larger schools.

"Once the final visit has taken place the Committee will speak in detail with the newly appointed Executive Headteacher and work with her to ensure that the students' views are taken into account in the planning of the new model. The Committee is also currently exploring ways in which it can continue capturing the views of students as the model develops," Deputy Fallaize added.

Other matters discussed included uniform policy, the need to enhance catering facilities which at present are far from ideal in several schools, sports facilities, and homework - with students raising the idea of an extended school day in return for less homework.

Newly appointed Executive Headteacher Liz Coffey, said she knew first hand how much the students valued the opportunity to speak to the Deputies, and also how impressive the students were in putting forward their views.

"It is important to recognise that the perspective that students have on the reforms is not necessarily the same as those of some parents, politicians or other members of the community," she said.

"The purpose of schools is to serve their students and it is absolutely vital that we continue to engage with them, harness their energy, capture their ideas and reassure them where needed – for example we need to demonstrate that the support that will be provided in the larger colleges of the future is focused on all students as individuals."

Pictured top: Deputy Matt Fallaize in a meeting with students at Les Beaucamps High.