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6
WQ.43/2019
WRITTEN QUESTION TO THE MINISTER FOR EDUCATION BY DEPUTY R.J. WARD OF ST. HELIER
ANSWER TO BE TABLED ON TUESDAY 29th JANUARY 2019
Question
Further to the Minister's comments during the debate on the Proposed Common Strategic Policy that she and the Council of Ministers "are absolutely committed to funding the overall school budgets to a level that ensures high-quality education and outcomes for all students" and that she would work with colleagues "to ensure the Government Plan, in which we determine the financial constraints in which we have and ensure proper funding for our services, is based on detailed analysis of all aspects of school funding, including headroom", will the Minister advise –
- how the proper funding' of schools will be defined;
- what stakeholders will be consulted to define such proper funding;
- what analysis will be undertaken and by whom;
- what specific improvements to funding will be seen by schools this year, if any; and
- what the timescale for any such improvement to school funding is?
Answer
- In May 2018 school leaders, specialist school staff, senior departmental officers and advisers embarked upon a comprehensive review of the funding of the Island's five fully States funded Secondary Schools, Primary Schools having been subject to a similar review earlier.
A separate review of Special Educational Needs funding was undertaken for both Primary and Secondary Schools. Both work-streams have developed models and they are in the process of refining their findings as part of the preparation of business cases for the 2020/23 Government Plan. This work is ongoing and will invariably result in a revisit to the Primary Schools review.
Proper funding will be defined by the outcome of these and future work streams that will consider all aspects of school funding to ensure it is optimised to provide everything needed to deliver the best Educational outcomes for all children and young people.
- School leaders, teachers, specialist school staff, unions, senior departmental officers and advisers
- This will be confirmed following a School Funding meeting on 30th January which I am attending with The Chief Executive, The Director General for Children Young People and Skills and Group Director for Education
- £100,000 to cover additional school admissions during the school year
£400,000 to deal with specific and urgent issues identified during the Secondary Schools funding
exercise.
£338,000 Jersey Premium
- The Government Plan 2020 - 2023
The Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel will be updated appropriately when the analysis and reviews have been completed.