A “DIVISIVE” education policy allowing students to transfer to Hautlieu when they reach 14 needs to be reconsidered, according to a Scrutiny panel.
Children’s, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel chair Deputy Catherine Curtis warned of the emotional toll of the 14-plus system, where high-achieving students can choose to go to the academically selective school, in her panel’s wider review into secondary education in Jersey.
Deputy Curtis said: “While some embrace the opportunities it offers, others experience significant stress and uncertainty.”
In a report published yesterday following a six-month review, the panel outlined several recommendations for secondary education, including increased collaboration between schools and setting up “centres of excellence”.
The policy of selective transfer to Hautlieu School at 14, which is unique to Jersey, was described as “divisive” in the report and potentially harmful to educational inclusion.
The panel said that it caused “both optimism and anxiety” for students – with the removal of academic high-achievers from non-fee-paying schools often creating challenges for those “left behind”.
Their report also found “no evidence to show if it is the optimum way to structure the secondary education system”.
Public opinion on the 14-plus transfer to the academically selective secondary school is sharply divided. Of the 329 submissions received by the panel during its consultation, perspectives were roughly even.
Supporters argued that the transfer offered academic advantages and a chance for high-performing students to thrive in a specialised environment.
Critics, however, felt that it undermined educational equity, depleted non-selective schools of high-achieving students, disrupted learning for those who transfer, and left those who remain feeling excluded and disadvantaged.
Teachers who responded were more likely to feel negatively towards the system due to concerns about inclusion and student morale, whereas students who responded were more likely to feel positively towards the system and to see it as a chance for a fresh start, the panel found.
In another submission to the panel, a local think tank said the policy led to student disruption, uncertain academic benefits and potential damage to morale.
The Policy Centre Jersey said: “There is no clear evidence-based rationale for the unusual and unique selection at the age of 14.
“Students who move to Hautlieu are initially disrupted, and interestingly some return immediately to their original school.
“There is no measure of how others may feel that stay at the school. Do they all perform better in this environment rather than continuing at a school they have been at for probably three years?
“The morale of teachers and the wellbeing of students who ‘failed’ to get in is a known impact. This possibly harms the outcomes at the originating schools.
“This is particularly impactful at Grainville, Haute Vallée and Le Rocquier which supply a large number of the intake to Hautlieu.”
Education Minister Rob Ward admitted earlier this year that reviewing the 14-plus transfer was not a priority for the remainder of his term, but he acknowledged the need for discussion.
“I would like to start the dialogue before the next election,” he told the panel during a hearing in July. “If we are going to provide the range of qualifications that now exist elsewhere, we have to be more flexible. Whether the transfer at 14 is the best way to achieve this is something we need to agree upon as an island.”
The Scrutiny panel’s recommendations also include introducing free sixth-form education as potential alternatives.
These measures, the panel argued, could help mitigate the divisive effects of the current transfer system.
The panel’s investigation is part of a broader review that produced 29 findings and 24 recommendations regarding secondary education funding.
The Scrutiny panel is chaired by Deputy Curtis, alongside panel members Constable Mark Labey, and Deputies Beatriz Porée and Helen Miles.
