Deep divisions have been exposed now Education’s full reasoning behind its attempt to end the college grant has been published.
The committee and the private colleges have set out startling contrasting figures as well as interpretations of data and the impact of the grant, with Education being accused of a lack of transparency and last-minute decision making.
In another indication of the split, proposals setting out how the colleges could work with the High Schools, including on teacher training and pupils sharing facilities, have been sidelined by ESC since they were put forward in June.
After their report was published, ESC President Andrea Dudley-Owen said: “As this is a complicated and nuanced conversation, the Committee has collated and published as much data and evidence as possible about the current education landscape on the island.
“While reviewing this evidence, the Committee has been persuaded that it is not in the interests of all taxpayers to continue subsidising the private education sector on the island in the long term.
“While it is important we review this grant through the lens of States savings and reinvestment, there is also a wider question here: should all taxpayers’ funds still be used to subsidise private education provision via grant-aid following the removal of selection seven years ago?”
Education wants to phase out taxpayer support, which currently totals £2.8m, so it is eliminated by 2031/32.
The Colleges want it to continue at current levels adjusted in line with inflation until 2039/40, as long as they meet certain standards.
In its policy letter, Education argues that the fees charged by the Colleges are significantly below the national average for independent schools and are between approximately £4,500 and £5,500 per annum more than the cost of educating a secondary school student in a fully States-funded school.
“When the grant-aid is added, the Colleges’ income increases by an additional £2,000 per student. It is the Committee’s contention that it is inherently inequitable for the States to subsidise College fees when there is already this level of disparity in per pupil funds, and any additional subsidy, via grant-aid to the Colleges, does not benefit all of the islands’ secondary-age students.”
The committee cites median annual household income data, saying there is a gap in excess of £30,000 between Les Beaucamps and Blanchelande – and more when comparing other high schools and colleges.
“The island’s school-aged population is declining. Without considerable net inwards migration, even if the Colleges retain their current ‘market share’ at around 30% of the island’s secondary-aged students, whether there are sufficient students for all three Colleges to remain viable in the long term is questionable,” the committee said.
“Furthermore, although the Colleges have been able to replace the States-funded scholars with fee-paying students, they are in competition with each other for students, and changes to their individual operating models have not been without consequence for their competitors. It is notable that the equivalent ‘market share’ in England is approximately 6%.
“It is the Committee’s contention that it is not appropriate for the States grant-aid to help insulate the Colleges from the actions of their competitors, nor from the realities of the island’s changing demographics.”
Annual fees at the Colleges range from £14,655 to £15,648, in Jersey they were between £7,500 and £7,900 in 2023/24.
Education also sets out a case based around social mobility.
“It is widely accepted that social mobility creates a fairer society, fosters social cohesion and boosts economic growth, as was evident in Guernsey’s post-war period.”
The committee’s arguments partly rest on a discussion point in a report mapping secondary school admissions in England produced by The Sutton Trust which campaigns for social mobility.
“The research indicates that, overall for the locality, higher degrees of social segregation have a depressive impact on levels of attainment. The research shows that disadvantaged students with high potential perform better when in schools with more socially mixed intakes. Guernsey’s education system has a high level of social separation and it is the Committee’s contention that The Sutton Trust’s research has applicability in the local context.”
The committee argues that even if the colleges increased their fees causing pupils to move to the High Schools, it could cope.
“The Committee has modelled the indicative costs of incrementally accommodating 80% (rather than the current 70%) of students in the fully States- funded sector.
“This shows that, assuming other fee-paying parents have less price sensitivity should their fees rise above RPIX to compensate for the grant’s withdrawal, taken over a 10-year period, the average increase in cost per annum of accommodating an additional 10% of students will be £0.29m.
“The Committee’s contention is that this is a more effective use of taxpayers’ money than funding grant-aid at an increasing annual cost of not less than £2.845m.
“It would also enable the Committee to invest in services and/or initiatives that would benefit a much larger group, and wider range, of students, and to enable a recurring saving in excess of £1m to be made in accordance with the resolutions arising from The States of Guernsey Annual Budget for 2025.”
The Colleges set out their case
The report also includes a letter of representation prepared by Blanchelande College, Elizabeth College and The Ladies’ College.
They argue that what Education has proposed is neither cost-effective nor sustainable.
“For more than two years, the Colleges have worked in good faith with members of the Committee and its key officers, as part of the Working Group, to seek to agree a recommendation on funding for the Colleges to be presented to the States.
“We provided joint impact assessments, presented detailed individual financial data to the Committee, and submitted a partnership proposal document with ideas to strengthen collaboration between the independent and States’ education sectors.
“Despite this, at the last moment and without meaningful negotiation, the Committee proposed a phased cessation of funding over five years.
“Unfortunately, the Committee has not been willing to share the contents of their Policy Letter, apart from illustrations of certain calculations for funding amounts and estimated RPIX. As such, this letter has been created blind and so we apologise in advance if it does not fully address points raised in the Policy Letter.”
They say removal of funding for the Colleges is not a saving to the States.
“The Colleges currently educate c.30% of Guernsey’s secondary school children for around 3% of the total estimated Education budget (based on the cash limits in the recent budget for 2025).
“Between c. 30% to 37% of children in the independent Colleges (at junior and secondary age) come from families in the bottom three quintiles of income distribution. Therefore, it is too simplistic to argue that removing funding will not have an adverse impact on our parents.”
They believe that the cost per child at secondary level in the States’ sector is between £10,000 and £15,000.
“Thus, even with efficiencies, we do not believe the Committee’s case that this movement of children into the States’ sector can be accommodated without a significant cost increase to the States. Given that between 34% to 39% of the children in the Colleges (including junior schools) are on the Special Education Needs and Disability register, the financial and resourcing impact on the States’ sector is likely to increase even more.”
ESC questions the College’s definition of SEND pupils.
The Colleges said that removing funding would destabalise the sector and impact Guernsey’s competitive positioning.
“Education is a key factor for families and businesses choosing to move to or remain on the island. The island risks losing the economic benefits that those families and businesses could bring,” they said.
“In 2023, the ‘factor income’ in the Financial and Insurance activities sector was £226,2374 per worker in Guernsey. The Colleges’ funding for the academic year 2024/2025 is equivalent to approximately 13 of those finance sector workers. So Guernsey would only need to attract and/or retain 13 workers to support States’ funding for the Colleges and help underpin Guernsey’s economy.”
The Colleges directly contribute between £35 million to £45 million to Guernsey’s economy.
“Unlike the UK, many jurisdictions – such as Australia, New Zealand, Ireland and the USA – provide state financial support to independent schools to strengthen their economies and maintain competitiveness. Indeed, the equivalent colleges in Jersey are given very substantial support. A loss of funding in our jurisdiction will further exacerbate and highlight this difference.”
Over the seven years of the current funding arrangement, the Colleges have absorbed a reduction in States support of around £10.3m.
“The Colleges do not accept the proposed calculations that have been provided by the Committee to the Colleges at various points during our discussions, as they suggest that there would be minimal impact to the States if a large number of students were to move from the independent Colleges to the States’ sector.
“We asked to see the Committee’s final position on its purported savings from students moving into the States’ sector, but this information was not shared with the Colleges prior to publication of the Policy Letter.”
The Colleges say there is value in a diverse educational ecosystem, something which is at risk.
“In recent years, the Colleges have been gradually excluded from areas where collaboration with the States’ schools once thrived. For example, Principals were previously invited to participate in the Education Leaders Forum, Heads of Department from both sectors met to share ideas, and the Colleges’ Principals were included in correspondence and weekly updates from the Education Department. Unfortunately, this contact has largely ceased.
“The Colleges deeply regret the removal of these valuable connections, as they played a crucial role in fostering collaboration and strengthening the island’s education system as a whole.”