JEP INVESTIGATION
WHEN an emergency timetable change was announced at a school set up to support children with additional needs, the move was attributed to “anti-social and criminal activity” and concerns for pupils’ safety.
But for the parents of children under the alternative provision, the timetable change was simply the latest symptom of a system they say has been failing their children for years.
Following inquiries from the JEP, two parents of children at La Passarelle – here called Jane and Alan to protect their families’ anonymity – agreed to share their story.
They paint a picture of “a dumping ground”, where vulnerable young people, already rejected by mainstream schools, are left without the specialist support they were promised.
Parents were offered a specialist setting equipped to understand and support children whose needs could not be met in mainstream education – an offer that, for both families, has not been fulfilled.
Jane said: “They sold the school to me as this was going to be a fresh start, a place where my child would have a voice, where they would be accepted and heard.
“And honestly, it is not the case. It’s just as bad as being back in mainstream education.”
Alan agreed: “It was sold to us as very much a specialist provision. If anything, I’d say it’s worse. Needs aren’t being met.”
Both parents claim staff have openly admitted to them that they cannot meet pupils’ needs. Children with high sensory, emotional or behavioural needs are, they say, left to cope without the structures and environments proven to help them.
“My child becomes dysregulated because their needs aren’t met,” Alan explained. “There’s always a reason behind the behaviours – but the school just wants to put out fires rather than be needs-led.”
Many of the problems stem from the physical environment itself, the parents say. They describe dropping their children off to a cluster of converted portacabins behind Highlands College.
They’re shoved in a portacabin building that is not fit for purpose, with no outdoor space,” said Jane. “They’re locked in. There’s nowhere for them to go.”
Alan said he knows of one child receiving one-to-one learning who is taught in a hallway because there is no appropriate classroom available.
He added: “They need to move from where they are. It’s not fit for purpose. It’s not big enough for them. The doors are locked in the building. There is nowhere for them to go at lunchtime. There’s no garden for them. There’s no outside access.”
Sensory needs – a core component of support for many children in alternative provision – are also described as unmet.
Alan claimed that the school only recently attempted to create a sensory room – which is “a tiny little room with a few lights and a yoga ball” – after an occupational therapist expressed shock at the lack of facilities.
Before the emergency overhaul that made the front page of the JEP last month, parents say the school already operated on a pattern of sudden timetable changes, inconsistent routines, and attempts to place pupils on reduced or home-learning schedules without proper consultation.
On a Friday afternoon, parents received a call and then an email informing them their children would be moved to a part-time timetable the following Monday.
“It was just not feasible,” said Alan. “Given our children’s levels of need, it’s a massive safeguarding issue leaving them at home on their own. And with work, it’s just not an option.”
Jane added: “I have to work, but I’ve got social workers telling me that if my child is at home then I have to be at home with them, because it’s not safe to leave them unattended.
“I think they probably just assumed that all parents don’t work or they would just accept it. But it’s just got to the point where I’m sick of being dictated, and I’m starting to fight back now.
“I’ve already lost a job because of what’s happened with education and my child. I’m not willing to put myself through that again.”
For children who have already experienced exclusion from mainstream settings, the threat of moving to a part-time timetable has been devastating.
Alan explained: “My child has been rejected from a mainstream school. And then, when this email then came through about going back to online learning, my child’s first instinct was rejection again. For their self confidence, I think that’s huge.
“This place was supposedly meant to be better for them, to be able to build their self esteem back up. And if anything, it’s still the same. It’s not gotten better.”
Both parents feel that the alternative provision has become the final stop for children rejected elsewhere.
Jane said: “Personally, I feel that La Passerelle is basically a dumping ground for the children that need extra help that the mainstream schools do not know how to deal with and do not want to have to deal.
“For others going through a similar thing I would say: do not accept La Passerelle as an options. Do not send your child there. I can’t tell anybody that it’s been the best place. I wish I’d never agreed to it.”
When asked if she would send her child there if she could go back in time, the response was clear.
“God no,” she said. “I would have fought. I wish I had fought. And my child is so upset with me because I didn’t, but I thought that I was doing the right thing at the time.”
Both parents say their children are now so far behind academically that they fear the future consequences.
All children at the alternative provision are taught together, from Year 7 to Year 11 with subjects beyond English and maths rarely offered.
Alan believes his child will leave school without qualifications.
“I don’t hold any hope,” he admitted.
Both say they know families across the Island facing the same issues – unmet needs in mainstream education, escalating sanctions, then removal.
“The amount of people that are going through the exact same situations with their children and just the complete lack of support is just crazy,” said Jane.
“It is utterly ridiculous.”
Alan added: “If you keep telling a child they’re stupid or naughty, eventually they believe it – and they start acting that way.”
A recent government-commissioned report into special educational needs provision across Jersey found leadership, strategy and accountability “not sufficiently effective”. Parents say that description barely scratches the surface.
“The whole education system needs to be updated and upgraded,” said Jane.
“The recent report has just highlighted just how shocking the system is at the moment.
“It seems like education issues are just brushed under the carpet. It’s often described as just a ‘glitch’, but it’s been like this for years.
“It’s just a glitch – but in that glitch, you’re failing my child. Unfortunately, for them, nothing’s going to change before they finish school.”
When contacted by the JEP for comment, the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills said: “We recognise the importance of supporting every child’s individual needs and are committed to providing the best possible environment for learning.
“The accommodation for La Passerelle was established as an interim solution while we work toward a permanent, purpose-built facility designed to meet a wide range of educational and sensory requirements.
“We are actively engaging with parents and staff to address challenges, improve communication, and ensure that pupils receive the support they need.
“Additional resources and specialist input are being prioritised, and we remain focused on creating a safe, inclusive setting where every child can thrive.”
