Education looks to make its strategy review count
All available maths teaching posts across Guernsey’s secondary schools have been filled for next year as efforts continue to bring achievement in the subject up to the same level as English.
This year’s Education Strategy Report showed that while 69% of students who took GCSEs last year achieved a four or above in English, in most secondary schools only 52% of those who took maths achieved the same result – with the exception of Les Beaucamps and St Anne’s in Alderney.
Director of education Nick Hynes said that maths was now in a similar position to where English was four years ago.
A review of maths was carried out across all the schools and each one now has a plan to develop the subject.
As well as bringing in a high-quality inclusive teaching programme focused on maths, Education, Sport & Culture has partnered with a company called Complete Mathematics.
‘They’ve brought additional support, together with a new curriculum and coaching for the teachers who have to provide it,’ said Mr Hynes.
Online resources have been introduced for A-level students to reflect what they learn in the classroom.
Outside of the secondary schools, TGI College is helping adults who might not have got the maths qualification they needed.
ESC has also undertaken initiatives to improve attendance in the last year, said Mr Hynes.
Attendance at secondary schools is 86%, compared to pre-Covid levels of 95%.
‘Primary levels have recovered much more quickly than secondary, but that’s not dissimilar to what’s happening in the UK,’ he said.
‘Where improvements in attendance are required they’re improving through a partnership between parents and HSC.’
While the majority of secondary school students attend regularly, a small number are bringing the average down.
‘But we now have two family support workers in all secondary schools. They work with families around attendance and support vulnerable families to help children get to school.’
In some cases these workers will partner with an early help coordinator from HSC. ‘Attendance is everyone’s business,’ said Mr Hynes. ‘We can’t impact attendance by ourselves and we have to ensure that parents see that attendance is important.’
It was also important to set expectations early, he said, starting out in primary school and expecting it to carry on. ‘But where we have vulnerable families and children who aren’t attending, we try to listen to them about why.’
