INDEPENDENT reviews of all Jersey schools are to take place over the next two years, the Children’s and Education Minister has confirmed.
Deputy Inna Gardiner said that the Jersey School Review Framework had been restarted after a two-year interruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
A new phase of the independent review process began in September 2019 and was due to cover all the Island’s schools and colleges over a two-year period, but was put on hold five months later.
Deputy Gardiner said: ‘The school review framework is the Island’s externally-led school and college accountability process, which also utilises local head teachers and senior leaders as “peer reviewers”.
‘The framework reviews recommenced in September, with several planned for this autumn term. We will be publishing the first two reports after the half-term, for Springfield School and St Martin’s School, and further reports will be published once their reviews are completed.’
The minister said that from February 2020 onwards, the main focus of all schools had been the wellbeing of students and staff, and the continuation of education.
‘Proudly, we kept Jersey schools open for more days than any other jurisdiction in the British Isles,’ she said. ‘As external visitors to schools were necessarily restricted, the external scrutiny and support of schools moved online, through virtual visits.’
The review process was also set to be updated, Deputy Gardiner added, to strengthen the focus on inclusion. This followed recommendations issued by UK-based body the National Association for Special Educational Needs.
Before each review, schools are given four working days’ notice, and are expected to notify parents and carers as soon as possible prior to the review taking place. A team of reviewers will then visit across three days.
Following each review, the school, parents and Education Department officials receive a short report of the findings, which are published within four weeks on the Jersey Schools Review Framework webpage, where parents and carers can watch videos and read factsheets in English, Polish and Portuguese.
Four reports were completed before reviews were suspended in February 2020 – Jersey College for Girls, First Tower, Mont à l’Abbé and Grainville – with the reports available via gov.je/education/schools.
It is anticipated that all schools and colleges will have been covered by December 2024.
