The official version of this document can be found via the PDF button.
The below content has been automatically generated from the original PDF and some formatting may have been lost, therefore it should not be relied upon to extract citations or propose amendments.
19-21 Broad Street | St Helier Jersey | JE2 3RR
Deputy Catherine Curtis
Chair, Children, Education and Home Affairs Scrutiny Panel
BY EMAIL 07 July 2023
Dear Chair,
I write on behalf of the Minister and thank you for your time on Wednesday 28th June and for your letter containing a request for further information and additional enquiries. Please see the answers below and do not hesitate to ask if you require further information:
Further details of how the 2023 Social Work degree course at University College Jersey has been publicised
The new model Social Work degree programme at University College Jersey has been designed and developed in consultation with Social Services. It has been promoted throughout the design phase to colleagues already working in social care who wish to become fully qualified. This has led to a very healthy uptake in the first round of recruitment to the programme and the creation of the trainee social worker role within services.
The degree is also open to those who do not currently work in services and is promoted via the Higher Education Fair, 6th form schools' roadshow events, visits to Level 3 groups within Highlands College, and through World Social Work Day events organised by the college. There was a Government of Jersey press release and promotional activity on social media about the new programme connected to our World Social Work Day in March 2023, which was attended by students, the voluntary sector and government partners.
Whether there are any figures, or data, available in relation to the outcomes of the Fostering Fortnight' event in May 2023;
Across Fostering Fortnight in May 2023 we received 8 enquiries from prospective new carers coming forward with an interest to foster. From those 8 enquiries, 6 carers have moved forward with their enquiry and received their initial visit from the Fostering Service and will be invited to come to the next skills to foster' training.
Confirmation of when the CAMHS Annual Summary Report will be published;
Subject to final design edits, senior officer and Ministerial approval, we expect the report to be published in August.
Sharing the Best Start Partnership report in respect of Early Years with the Panel. Please could you give an indication of when this could be provided?;
An annual report will be produced by year end.
Further details about the additional Nursery Education Fund grant funding has been used; This was not additional NEF grant funding but a one-off payment to support additional costs being faced by the nursery as a whole. This has been used to maintain the quality and offer food and snacks without any increases being passed to parents, additional resources for the children and specialist play equipment.
A detailed breakdown of the grouped heads of expenditure and feasibility spending for the CYPES capital projects;
Projects in Delivery
Mont à l'Abbé extension project – completion date December 2023.
Shading solutions to be delivered across a number of schools
Ventilation and cooling – Les Quennevais Phase 3 to commence 17th July.
Projects in Delivery – Minor Capital
50+ projects to be delivered across majority of schools during 2023 into 2024. Projects led by CYPES Programme & Projects Team and by Jersey Property Holdings. These can be grouped into the following:
• Health and Safety / Site Security
• Improvements to building / space
• Improvements to outside play space
• Improved delivery of the curriculum
Projects in Pre-Delivery
• St John's School Field - Planning permission submitted May 2023.
Projects in feasibility
• East of St Helier School
• Mont à l'Abbé Secondary school
• First Tower Field
• Le Rocquier Sports Centre
• Le Squez Youth and Community Centre
• St Aubin's Fort
• Victoria College Prep
• Therapeutic Children's Home
Confirmation of the number of staff to be recruited and trained for the extension of the school meals scheme in September 2023 and, if possible, September 2024;
We are currently aiming to recruit seven staff for September 2023. The staff resourcing requirements for 2024 have not yet been finalised.
Confirmation of whether details about the student finance grant information can be made available in European Portuguese, as this is not a language translation option available through Google translate on gov.je; and
We can explore the potential for this. The student finance team have a member of staff who speaks Portuguese and can assist where required. Feedback from the team is that they are not aware of language translation being a barrier to successful access to the scheme.
Details of the number of applicants for postgraduate bursary funding in recent years, including 2023.
The funding provided will range from £1,000 to £10,000 per student per year. Students can be on course lengths of between 1 and 4 years.
Academic Year | Total applications | Total funded | Total funding awarded |
2018/19 | 26 | 10 | £73,000 |
2019/20 | 42 | 14 | £100,000 |
2020/21 | 38 | 18 | £108,000 |
2021/22 | 45 | 14 | £81,000 |
2022/23 | 40 | 17 | £131,000 |
2023/24 | 29 | *TBC | *TBC |
*Interviews are being held week commencing 10th July 2023 Joint working with Justice and Home Affairs
The Panel was advised by the Minister for Home Affairs (in a letter dated 11th May 2023) that, historically, there hasn't been cross department working between Justice and Home Affairs and CYPES in relation to the educational provision at HMP La Moye, but that there are plans to start developing that relationship. Please could you confirm if there has been any recent cross-ministerial collaboration and whether the department has started working with the team at the prison in relation to its educational provision?
Highlands College has an existing Service Level Agreement in place to provide the prison with support relating to the following qualifications:
- City & Guilds Horticulture
- City & Guilds Construction
- Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills English
- Pearson Edexcel Functional Skills Maths
The support consists of:
• Registration, exam entries and certification for the learners on the above programmes.
• Providing support in the coordination, delivery, standardisation, assessment, and exam invigilation for the courses.
• Quality assurance activities relating to the courses to ensure they meet the awarding organisations' requirements.
• Academic integrity checks prior to certification claims before they are processed by the college.
In addition:
Highland's College Head of Hospitality met with our prison colleagues earlier in the year around training related to the coffee shop that they are looking to open, using prisoners as the staff.
The prison management subsequently enrolled staff on our Barista course so they could become qualified and could help train the prisoners. There were wider discussions about culinary courses, and we are exploring further training opportunities.
Finally, the prison has contacted the College to teaching barbering and deliver English as a Second or Additional Language classes in the prison from September 2023. These will be cost recovery, from the prison's education and training budget.
English and Mathematics classes for adults are currently being funded via temporary Social Recovery funding which ends in July 2023. The Minister's Skills Actionable Agenda (2022) seeks to address funding for English and Mathematics for 16 to 19 full-time and for adults which is currently not part of the College's budget model.
Do you envisage some of the actions committed to in the Further Educational and Skills Actionable Agenda' will impact the educational provision at the prison? (For example, point 8 of the agenda references funding adult numeracy and literacy up to level 2. Would this include any young adults in the prison?)
I do consider that some of the actions committed to on the FE and Skills Actionable Agenda could impact educational provision at the prison. The skills fund also could include measures which have some impact on educational provision at the prison.
Please could you confirm the current membership of the Jersey Curriculum Council? (Please advise if the members are independent, or a member due to their employment role with the States of Jersey).
The Education (Jersey) Law, 1999 requirements can be viewed through the link: (article 59, Schedule 5)
Current Membership:
The Minister for Children and Education or her representative Assistant Minister are always in attendance (States of Jersey).
Chair / Vice Chair: Group Director for Education/ Chief Officer (CYPES)
Officer responsible for Jersey Curriculum Council: Senior Adviser for Curriculum (CYPES) - permanent member
School Representatives, who come from a mix of Government, Fee-Paying and Independent schools:
Primary Headteacher x1 (currently one in role and one gaining experience)
Secondary Headteacher x 1, Special Needs School x 1, Early Years x 1, Key Stage One x 1, Key Stage Two x 1, Key Stage Three x 1, Key Stage Four x 1, Key Stage Five x 1, Higher / Further education (Highlands) x 1
Other invited representatives attending on a regular basis: Head of School Improvement and Advisory Service (CYPES) x 1 Chair of the Jersey Home-Schooling Association (Independent) x 1
Other guests such as members of Jersey Youth Parliament, other advisers, members of arms- length organisations, Government Departments, or charities are requested to attend to advise the Minister as required.
How often does the curriculum council meet? Three times per year – November, March and June.
Following the recent British-Irish Council summit in Jersey, Guernsey's Chief Minister was cited [in the JEP on 17th June] saying that the 2 Bailiwicks could work closer together in areas such as Education. What is your opinion of this? Have you explored any opportunities to work with Guernsey?
Earlier this year I travelled to Guernsey and met with the President of the Education, Sport and Culture Committee, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen. We discussed areas of mutual interest and some potential areas where closer working could be beneficial for both Bailiwicks. I am fully supportive of the development of joint working and sharing of resources where this can be of benefit.
Both Islands have relatively small populations and that can bring diseconomies of scale that can be mitigated by joint working. The development of shared learning opportunities is one idea that could have potential benefits as the combined students from both Bailiwicks could make an unviable course become viable.
I plan to continue the positive dialogue we have started and seek to work more closely where there is clear benefit.
Yours sincerely,
Connétable Richard Vibert
Assistant Minister for Children and Education D +44 (0)1534 440152