Online school for Sark teenagers to be discussed

Secondary education in Sark was scrapped in 2019

Children in Sark could soon be given the opportunity to attend an international online secondary school.

Sark's education committee is set to discuss the possibility of offering the option to parents of students aged 13 and over, with places at the school funded by the government.

If agreed, it would be the first completely free option to Sark parents for secondary education.

Sark School currently provides education for the island's children from the ages of three (optional) or four to 13. Older children continue their education either in Guernsey, where they have to stay with host families during term-time, or at a boarding school in the UK.

'Extremely competitive'

Sark's Education Committee said it was looking into the possibility of becoming a '"partner school" with King's InterHigh, an independent fee paying school that offers live lessons from UK-qualified teachers in three timezones.

In a report the committee said the fees for King's InterHigh were "extremely competitive" and the possibility of becoming a partner school could mean discounted fees and the opportunity for the island to work with the school to create a "tailor-made timetable".

It follows concerns about the financial stability of secondary education in Sark.

It is estimated that by the school year 2028-2029, the total cost education in the island, would be £480,270, with 13+ schooling accounting for £211,736 of that.

There have also been difficulties in finding ways to effectively send children to Guernsey for secondary school, with a lack of host families.

Currently, it is up to the parents to secure host families and accommodation in Guernsey, but Sark's government does part fund accommodation and travel.

'Fill in the gaps'

The Education Committee said parents would still have the choice to send their children to school in Guernsey or the UK, but subsidisation of this option was still being discussed.

The committee said the Kings InterHigh provided "top-class education while still allowing the children the benefits of Sark life and being able to stay with their family".

In an appendix to the report, the Education Committee said the cost per pupil of the current arrangements was more than £13,000 for the 2023/2024 school year, which included 50% towards travel and accommodation costs.

The total cost this year with seven students was £93,798.

The projected annual cost for the online school would be no more than £31,750 for up to 20 students each in Year 9-11 and sometimes less depending on how many students were in each year of education.

It said the savings made on education fees would give Sark School the money to "fill in the gaps which an online school leaves".

Suggestions included linking up with schools in Guernsey for team sports, access to science labs and work experience opportunities.

A proposal is expected to go before Chief Pleas' Michaelmas meeting.