Sark School’s “pursuit of educational excellence” appears to be working with praise for the children’s achievements and their teachers’ work over the last school year.
Last week’s Chief Pleas meeting heard a positive end of year report for the school highlighting the success the island’s children are having in their studies.
It followed a positive inspection carried out in May.
Last year’s annual report for Sark School had given details of its plans to work with school improvement officers, and to carry out inspections.
Lead by the island’s Education Committee and the school’s headteacher, a plan was in place to work with off-island educationalists to benefit the small population of pupils.
“In our pursuit of educational excellence, we are collaborating closely with school
improvement officers Vicky Mathews and Marcus Cooper,” pledged the Education Committee in early 2025, presenting the 2023/24 school report.
“Together, we are in the process of developing a bespoke inspection framework tailored specifically for Sark. While this framework will be underpinned by OFSTED criteria, it will be meticulously crafted to address the unique needs and context of our school community.”
One year in, and the 2024/25 report for Sark School has given examples of where this work with Ms Mathews and Mr Cooper is already benefitting the pupils and staff, while the already high literacy and maths standards achieved by the pupils has been maintained.
During the 2023/24 school year, there were 27 pupils attending Sark School – all between the ages of pre-school – Year 7.
88% of pupils were working at or above the expected level in literacy at that time, with 94% meeting or exceeding expected levels in maths.
During the 2024/25 school year, there were 24 pupils at Sark School and 93% of them were reading at or above the expected level for their age, while 86% were at or above their expected level in maths.
The percentages are skewed by the small number of children in the island, but it does compare favourably with the UK where the national average for children reaching the expected standard in reading at primary school level was 74% and 73% in maths during 2024.
Ms Mathews carried out an inspection of Sark School in May this year alongside Lead Consultant Inspector Shaun Jarvis. Together they found many positives with the school.
“Following an unsettled period, the school is now benefiting from consistency in leadership, staffing and a broad curriculum that is in the process of being carefully planned and developed. Staff at Sark School have an unwavering ambition for the curriculum to be on a par with schools in the UK, Guernsey and beyond.”
The report found that Sark’s children “read and write well” and that “there is a culture of reading across the school and careful thought has been given to the range of books that pupils can choose to read. Pupils are excited to have their imagination sparked through the interesting stories that they read”.
Other positives around learning and wider school life were also hailed in the report, with an acknowledgement that key stage 3 provision remains under review with Sark’s education committee and governing board considering different online options and the wider approach to teaching up to GCSE age children.