Total level of financial or any other support given to fee paying schools

1240/5(5704)

WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION, SPORT AND CULTURE BY SENATOR J.L. PERCHARD

ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 19th OCTOBER 2010

Will the Minister advise -

1. the totalannuallevelof financial orany other support given to the following schools anddetail how it is calculated -

Jersey College for Girls Victoria College

De La Salle College Beaulieu

FCJ

St Georges

St Michaels'

Answer

The total level of financial support given to the schools listed in 2010 is as follows:

The current support to the fee-paying secondary schools is calculated on the basis of 50% of the cost of educating a child in a non fee-paying secondary school at an average cost of £6,010  per annum

The support to the fee-paying primary schools is based on 25% of the cost  of educating a child in a non fee-paying primary school at an average cost of £4,412 per annum

Apart from Jersey College for Girls, fee paying schools do not recognise in their fee structure the difference  between  the  cost  of  educating  a  child at  primary  level  and  that of  educating  a  child  in secondary school.

It is therefore likely that any reduction in subsidy will be spread across the whole school rather than simply targeted at secondary school pupils.

In addition, Victoria College and Jersey College for Girls receive support from the States Property Holdings Department for property maintenance. In addition, these schools are eligible to apply for capital works to be undertaken as part of the States forward capital programme.

Following a decision of the States in 2001, a total investment of £6.5 million was made available to the church schools to support capital investment, and this sum has now been spent.

The support in respect of FCJ is based on 40% of the cost of educating a child in a non fee-paying primary school, following a decision of the Education, Sport and Culture Committee in April 2003 to amend its policy for the Provision of Financial Assistance to Non Provided Schools. When FCJ went through a period of low pupil numbers, the grant was increased to 40%. The school numbers at the school are now secure, and it is fair that the subsidy should be reduced to same level as that of its competitors, i.e. 25%.

In a d dition to the financial support described above, a range of other support services is provided by ESC. The fee-paying schools are included in all professional development training offered by the Schools and Colleges Team, e.g. curriculum development, learning skills, leadership, and child protection. In addition, the schools have access to the Professional Partner programme.

Question

2. the contractual conditions between the States of Jersey and the abovementionedschools.

Answer

The schools that have been listed in question (a) fall into two categories.

1. Victoria College and Jersey College for Girls are provided fee-paying schools and fall under the responsibility ofEducation, Sport and Culture. This means that all ESC policies apply to them, and they are held accountable for everyaspectof practice in line with all non fee-payingschools.
2. Theremaining schools on the list are private schoolsand are defined as"Non-Provided Schools" in Part 7 oftheEducation (Jersey) Law 1999, as amended..Inaccordance with articles 37and40of the Law, all Non-Provided Schools are obliged to be registered, and in this connection they are required to provide information onanannual basis to the ESC department. This information includes -

Age range, gender and numbers of pupils

Staffing

Levels of achievement

Compliance with health and safety requirements

Budget report

Details of external reviews or inspections (where this does not occur the Department organises an inspection).

It is the Minister's intention to review arrangements and introduce Service Level Agreements for all fee paying schools in receipt of States subsidies.

Question

3. the actualproposalsin respect ofeachof these schools

Answer

The initial proposal supported by the COM was to reduce the subsidy over the period 2011 to 2013 starting September 2011. Further discussions are taking place to determine how the change is managed, and I am optimistic that a satisfactory outcome will be achieved within a reasonably short period. The eventual period over which the reductions will be implemented has yet to be finalised.

As noted in the response to question (a), fee paying primary and secondary schools currently receive a subsidy from the States, which equates to half the cost of educating a child in a States secondary school and a quarter of the cost of educating a child in a States primary school. The proposal would result in the support provided to secondary schools being reduced to 25% of the cost of educating a child in a States secondary school, i.e. the same percentage as that provided to primary schools.

The level of support currently provided to FCJ, which equates to 40% of the cost of educating a child in a States primary school, would also be reduced to 25%, in line with the other fee paying primary schools, starting in September 2011.

It is also proposed that subsidies to the private preparatory schools, St George's and St Michael's, would be phased out by 2013, starting in September 2011.

Question

4. the annual cost of educating a child in both a Statesrunprimary and secondary school

Answer

The annual cost of educating a child in a non fee-paying provided primary school is £4,412. The annual cost of educating a child in a non fee-paying provided secondary school is £6,010.

In addition, the major proportion of property maintenance costs are met by States Property Holdings, whilst capital costs are accessible through the States capital programme.

Question

5. the numberofschoolplaces that arepredicted to bemade available on an annual average overthe next 5 years in the States run primary andsecondary schools

Answer

Based on the current number and range of school facilities, and on demographic and other information

gathered by the department, an annual average of 9,000 places will be available over the next 5 years. Question

6. the numberofschool places that are predicted tobemade available on an annual average o ver the next 5 years in fee paying primaryand secondary schools

Answer

Whilst ESC has certainty over the number of places available in non fee-paying and provided schools, we have no control over the places that may be available at the private fee paying schools.

Question

7. the predictednumberofchildren on average over the next 5 years that will require primaryeducation eachyear?

Answer

Projections take into account relevant data, including birth rates, economic factors, migration trends etc, and it is predicted that the average will be 6,900 a year.

Question

8. the predicted number of children on average over the next 5 years that will require   s econdary education each year?

Answer

Projections take into account relevant data, including birth rates, economic factors, migration trends etc, and it is predicted that the average will be 6,200 a year.