Thursday 23 July 2020
The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture is today releasing the results of surveys of hundreds of staff in education.
The results will inform the ongoing review of potential future models of secondary education.
The surveys have captured extensive information about the views of staff, including their views about the relative importance of different priorities for the future of secondary education. 70% of secondary teachers (137) submitted completed surveys. In total there were 179 responses from staff in secondary schools and an additional 172 responses from wider education staff groups, including in primary schools, special schools, The Guernsey Institute and education support services.
Survey responses will assist the analysis of models. They will provide a starting point for more detailed conversations with staff in secondary schools, which will take place in the autumn school term. All of this feedback, gathered over several months, will help the detailed development of each of the four models being reviewed and will influence the final options and recommendations submitted to the States next year.
The Committee and its advisors have also been meeting regularly with union representatives to discuss all aspects of the review. These meetings are expected to continue at least every two weeks throughout the review. Committee members recently visited secondary schools' staff rooms to talk with teachers and other staff about the review of models. Further discussions will also take place with other staff groups.
Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said:
'I want to thank the hundreds of staff who took the time to complete the surveys. We are committed to hearing the views of staff in schools and other education services and for those views to shape the review of models and the findings presented to the States. The surveys have captured the views of staff about the relative importance of different priorities for the future structure of secondary education. This information will influence the technical analysis of the four models which are being reviewed.
'Once that analysis is complete we will carry out further consultation with secondary school staff during the autumn term so that their views influence our efforts to produce the best version of each of the models the States have directed us to review. Then we can get that information back to the States together with appropriate recommendations. It will be for my successor to present that policy letter to the States next year, but my view is that the recommendations need to be framed in such a way which allows the States to finally agree the future model of secondary education which they can then implement without further delay because prolonging uncertainty is not in the best interests of our students and schools.'
In March, the Assembly directed that there should be a review of four models of secondary education with a policy letter being submitted to the States by April 2021.
The States directed that three models should be reviewed and compared to the previously-agreed plan for two 11-18 colleges:
- Three 11-18 colleges
- Two 11-16 colleges and one 11-18 college
- Three 11-16 colleges and a sixth form college on a different site
