‘Education needs to be open about major appointments’

West deputy and former Education, Sport & Culture committee member Andrea Dudley-Owen has submitted Rule 14 questions about the way that Andrew Warren and Sophie Roughsedge were appointed to the senior positions.

‘The appointments of a director of Education and deputy director of Education are very important and significant, never more so than at a time where such profound and controversial changes are being made to our local education system,’ she said.

‘The nature of the appointments and the way in which they have been conducted has raised queries and requires scrutiny.’

Mr Warren was appointed as a non-voting member of the ESC committee in February 2018 and sat on the recruitment panel for the appointment of a new director of Education.

ESC president Matt Fallaize said at the time that the recruitment process had resulted in no appointment being made. Mr Warren was then approached due to his extensive experience of leadership roles in primary and secondary education, taking up the role in June.

Later that month, it was announced that Les Beaucamps High School head teacher Sophie Roughsedge would be leaving in September and taking up a year’s secondment in the Education office.

On the eve of January’s States debate on the future of secondary and post-16 education, Mrs Roughsedge wrote a letter apologising to parents after a States member revealed that Mrs Roughsedge had spoken in favour of the alternative model in discussions with deputies ahead of the debate.

Deputy Dudley-Owen has asked for more details about the role she has taken on, including whether it was advertised, who sat on the appointment panel and whether it was intended that she take over the director of Education position when Mr Warren’s contract expires in 2019.

In response to the Rule 14 questions, Deputy Fallaize said: ‘Deputy Dudley-Owen’s questions imply a high degree of misunderstanding in the process for appointing the officers concerned. This is surprising given Deputy Dudley-Owen has already asked most of these questions of the committee informally and the processes which led to these appointments have been explained to her in detail.

‘As is known, since its election in February the committee has been working with its chief secretary to restructure the Education office.

‘This has included considerable change of personnel in senior positions. The committee is confident that it is supported by a strong and capable team of senior advisers with the right blend of skills to advise and support the committee as it leads significant transformation in education in the months and years ahead.’

Deputy Dudley-Owen said her meeting with ESC had not answered her questions.

‘Despite the committee giving me further information at an informal meeting, I left with questions still remaining and that is why I am now seeking written clarification.

‘I understand good governance process around recruitment. I don’t understand the process around these appointments and that is why I am asking the questions.

‘The States of Guernsey is often accused of not being sufficiently open and transparent and this is the committee’s opportunity to be completely open about the process that they followed.’