- A second head teacher in Jersey has called for more funding for pupils from poorer backgrounds
- Last month Le Rocquier head Phil Slater said that States schools needed more funding
- Now Haute Vallée head Dave Roworth has backed the idea
- Should States schools receive more funding? Take our poll below
THE head teacher of another secondary school has called for extra funding for disadvantaged pupils.
Haute Vallée head Dave Roworth has backed calls for the introduction of a UK-style pupil premium scheme where schools are given extra funding to help pupils from poorer backgrounds – stating that the money would help drive up literacy and numeracy rates.
- In the UK, state-funded secondary schools receive an extra £935 per year for every pupil who is eligible for free school meals.
- There is currently no such system in Jersey, but Education Minister Rod Bryans has previously said that he is considering the scheme and that it could potentially be introduced in the coming years.[/breakout]
Mr Roworth is the second head teacher of Jersey’s four 11-16 States schools to voice support for the scheme, which has been credited with dramatically improving GCSE results in secondaries with pupils from less-affluent backgrounds.
Last year, the percentage of pupils achieving at least five ‘good’ GCSE grades including English and maths at Jersey’s 11-16 schools was significantly lower than selective school Hautlieu and at least two of the Island’s four fee-paying schools.
In 2014, 45.3 per cent of students at Le Rocquier school gained five or more A* to C grades including in English and maths, while 45.5 per cent of students at Grainville, 36 per cent at Les Quennevais and 22.9 per cent at Haute Vallée achieved the benchmark grades.
In comparison, the vast majority of students at Hautlieu and JCG scored five A* to C grades including English and maths, with 96.6 per cent and 99 per cent hitting the mark respectively. Meanwhile, nearly two thirds (64.2%) of Beaulieu students achieved the same grades. Victoria College and De La Salle did not provide figures.
Last month, Le Rocquier head teacher Phil Slater told the JEP that hundreds of thousands of pounds of extra funding was needed to be given to states schools with a high percentage of disadvantaged pupils to help improve GCSE results.
And now, Mr Roworth, who has previously taught at Grainville and Le Rocquier, has supported that call.
‘I think Phil is right in what he was saying’ he said. ‘Any system that recognises the fact that the Island’s four 11-16 secondary schools are going to have a bigger proportion of pupils coming from lower economic backgrounds has got to be a good thing.
‘We know that not all students from poorer backgrounds have difficulties, but low numeracy and literacy levels can be a feature along with poor nutrition. Extra funding is needed to support these needs, which could then be used to employ additional specialist support workers and teachers to close the gap with literacy and numeracy standards.
The Haute Vallée headteacher added: ‘As with the UK, where funding is linked to eligibility to free school meals, perhaps in Jersey the funding could be linked to social housing needs. Haute Vallée could expect to receive an extra £300,000 with this kind of scheme.
‘Developing those levels is going to mean that pupils will have greater opportunities and life chances which also will benefit Jersey in the long term.
Dave Roworth was appointed as head teacher of Haute Vallée in 2014.
He took over from Caryl Lewis, who left the school to go to the UK after three years in the post.
The Jersey-born teacher, who was formerly deputy head of Le Rocquier School, began his career in 1993 as a maths teacher at D’Hautrée.
He then transferred to Haute Vallée as head of maths when it opened in 1998 before later moving to Grainville School, where he was deputy head for seven years.
In a statement, the 49-year-old said of his appointment: ‘I am thrilled to be returning to Haute Vallée, having worked there previously for nine years, and I am relishing the challenge of becoming the next head teacher of a school that has so much potential.’
Mr Roworth went to La Pouquelaye primary school as well as Le Rocquier and then Hautlieu secondary schools.
