02 October 2019
Starting this term all Government of Jersey primary and secondary schools will be independently reviewed. The reviews will evaluate the quality of provision for Jersey’s pupils, with a report of the findings being made available to the public.
The Jersey Schools Review Framework has been piloted across Government schools since 2016. The framework has been independently evaluated by a leading academic, who has published school and system-wide reviews in the UK and internationally, including for the OECD and for the National College of Education.
The review, which will see each school assessed every three years, aims to evaluate: that pupils are in a safe, nurturing environment; the behaviour and personal development of pupils; the standards of teaching, learning and achievement; and the effectiveness of the schools' leadership.
The Minister for Education, Senator Tracey Vallois, said that the move to establish a formal schools review reflected the Government’s commitment to putting children first.
“Schools have always had support and challenge from the Department; and some have, in the past, commissioned external reviews. Introducing the Jersey Schools Review Framework will ensure all schools experience the same robust and transparent assessment of their work,” she said. “Parents and carers will be able to read report findings reflecting both the excellent work going on in our classrooms and the ways in which our schools can improve and be even better. This reflects our commitment to raising standards and achievement through the progression of our pupils and supporting the valuable work of our staff.”
Each assessment will be undertaken by an independent external lead reviewer, experienced in conducting reviews in other jurisdictions, as well as a Senior Adviser from the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills (CYPES) and two or more senior school leaders currently working in Jersey schools. The review team will speak to pupils, consult parents, meet with and survey staff, look at pupils’ work, observe lessons and review school data.
Schools will be given four working days’ notice before a review takes place, and parents and carers will be able to complete a questionnaire to help identify any areas for the lead reviewer to follow up.
Seán O’Regan, the Group Director of Education for the Department for Children, Young People, Education and Skills, said that the plan was for all schools to be reviewed by December 2022.
“Our Government schools have been reviewed as part of a pilot assessment, which began in Autumn 2016,” he said. “This has helped schools become familiar with the process, but it also has given us the opportunity to trial different review models to make sure ours was right for Jersey. Now that the Jersey Schools Review Framework has been developed, we can start the reviews and publish the findings. As part of the development of our framework, a highly experienced schools reviewer met headteachers, evaluated pilot reviews, liaised with the School Improvement team at CYPES and evaluated the Jersey Schools Review Framework itself. As a result, we know we have a robust review process that can inform parents and carers of the quality of education their children are receiving.”
Following each review, the school, parents and CYPES will receive a short report of the findings which will be available on the Jersey Schools Review Framework webpage, where parents and carers can watch videos and read factsheets in English, Polish and Portuguese to find out more about the process. The reports will be published within 19 working days of the end of the review.
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