Guernsey has much to be proud of in its Education Service. A recent independent review stated that the Island should recognise how fortunate it is and that the high quality of its people was always going to be one of the most important sources of the Bailiwick's economic success. Many challenges continue to face the Education Department but there have been a great many positive changes and developments over the last ten years. This section highlights some of those achievements Pupil Teacher Ratios The Island continues to maintain very favourable pupil teacher ratios in its schools when compared to the the UK   Guernsey UK Primary 18:1 21.8:1 Secondary 12.6:1 16.5:1   Class Sizes Average class sizes are lower than in the UK 23 as opposed to 26 in Primary   Exam Performance Bailiwick students outperform English students in public examinations (GCSE, AS, A Level, GNVQ etc) at 16 and 18 years of age Each year from 2000-2008 an average of 5.5% more students achieved 5A*-C grades at GCSE compared to their English counterparts. Each year from 2000-2008 an average of 3.5% more students achieved A Level pass rates (grades A-E) compared to their English counterparts   Post 16 Participation Rates Post 16 students in Guernsey are realising the benefits of staying in full time education or training. In 1997 the post 16 participation rate was 58%; in 2008, 71% stayed on in full time education. The most recent statistics show that 79% of 16 year olds are in full time education or an apprenticeship and 81% are in full time education, an apprenticeship or other work-based training. In 1997 only 24% of 18 year olds who left school went on to higher education, now 40% of 18 year old school leavers choose to go to university or HE College. In 1997 there were 321 young people on the States Registered Apprenticeship scheme, now there are 370 In 1997 the College of Further Education was only just introducing GNVQs, now they offer a whole range of courses at all different levels from Entry Level to Degree courses. Popular subjects now include Performing Arts, Media Studies and Sports Science.   Inspection Systems and Standards Introduced in 1994, some ten years before being introduced in England, the Island has developed its own system of inspection called Validated School Self Evaluation (VSSE). Self evaluation was not incorporated formally into the Ofsted model in England until 2005. All schools have now completed a second VSSE and the Lead Validator on HMI inspection, in the 2007 report on the inspection system stated, "A scrutiny of Phase 2 reports reveals that standards have been raised significantly by all schools since the days of infrequent HMI inspections and visits. VSSE has played an important part in these improvements." There are no schools in Guernsey which would, in Ofsted terms, be deemed to be failing and in need of special measures. Click here to download the most recent summary validation report for each of the schools under the control of the Education Department. Inspection models have also been developed for the College of Further Education, Careers Service, Youth Service and the Apprenticeship Scheme. Comments from these inspections include: CFE "The grades achieved by the Guernsey College of Further Education in teaching and learning would place the College in that group of colleges described by OFSTED as outstanding." The States Apprenticeship Scheme "The inspectors were impressed with the States Apprenticeship Scheme which they describe as 'one of the jewels in the Island's crown'." Careers Service "The Guernsey Careers Service provides a good service and, in some cases, this has been described as excellent."   Teaching & Learning A full review of the Bailiwick of Guernsey Curriculum was carried out in 2007. Recent initiatives introduced include Assessment for Learning and Moderated Teacher Assessment. The Education Department's ICT Strategy was launched in 1999. Today, all maintained schools are served by 100mb links, from a centrally managed service. Each teacher within the Bailiwick has been provided with a laptop and the ratio of pupils to computers is 1:5 in Primary and 1:3 in Secondary. Interactive Whiteboards have been deployed in 80% of classrooms across the Department's schools. The Education Department is continuing to develop the Virtual Learning Environment which will provide every child with the opportunity to have a secure personalised learning area accessible from anywhere on the internet. The Guernsey Integrated Learning Environment (GILE) is due to launch in 2009.   Teachers The Education Department employs around 700 teachers who earn on average more than their UK counterparts. The starting salary for a teacher in Guernsey is £25,505 as opposed to £25,000 in Inner London, the region with the highest teachers' pay in England. A teacher at the top of the Main Professional Grade earns £36,624 and £34,768 in Inner London. Contracted hours for teachers in Guernsey are also favourable - 1181 hours per year as opposed to 1265 hours in the UK. The Island offers on-Island teacher training for local people looking to move into the teaching profession. Since 2001, 13 people have successfully qualified as teachers through the on-Island training scheme and 4 are currently undergoing training. Despite the requirement for many teachers to be appointed on the basis of a 5 year housing licence, the turnover of teaching staff in 2007 was only 10%.