School class sizes (FOI)

Request

A

With anecdotal evidence that many islanders are leaving Jersey, and taking their children with them, (due to high rents and the cost of living), and the fact that Guernsey are closing reception classes due to falling demand, can you please state every actual class size in public sector schools, including those that are fee based or receive a grant (such as Beaulieu), relative to the particular class capacity (for example, Form 2 - optimum capacity 30 pupils, current number of pupils 25).

B

Please comment on whether there is a lower demand for places than expected.

C

What the future trend projections are.

Response

A

Please find attached the class size data as requested.

Pupils in registration groups.xlsx

Information regarding maximum class sizes in Government of Jersey non fee paying schools is available on www.gov.je. Article 23 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 has been applied. Please see the following links:

Admissions to Non Fee Paying Secondary Schools Policy.pdf (gov.je)

Admissions to Non Fee Paying Primary Schools Policy.pdf (gov.je)

Fee paying schools (e.g., Beaulieu) maintain their own policies for admission and class sizes, therefore this information would need to be requested from those schools directly.

B and C

The Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 gives a right to request information that is held in recorded form, unless exempt. These aspects of the request pose questions rather than seeking information held in recorded form.

Article 3 of the Freedom of Information (Jersey) Law 2011 applies.

Articles applied

Article 3 - Meaning of “information held by a public authority”

For the purposes of this Law, information is held by a public authority if –

(a)     it is held by the authority, otherwise than on behalf of another person; or

(b)     it is held by another person on behalf of the authority.

Article 23 - Information accessible to applicant by other means

(1) Information is absolutely exempt information if it is reasonably available to the applicant, otherwise than under this Law, whether or not free of charge.

(2) A scheduled public authority that refuses an application for information on this ground must make reasonable efforts to inform the applicant where the applicant may obtain the information.