School 'committed to growth' after inspection

Bosses at a Guernsey secondary school said they were "fully committed" to building on its work following a merger.

Les Varendes High School was inspected by Ofsted in November 2025 and achieved "good" ratings for behaviour and attitudes, personal development and welfare, and leadership and management.

However, quality of education at the school which merged with La Mare de Carteret High School in September was graded as "requires improvement".

Principal Verona Tomlin said the inspection confirmed what they already knew about the school and the areas identified for improvement were the same as included in a development plan.

Tomlin added: "While we recognise there is still work to be done, we remain fully committed to our journey of growth."

Inspectors said the school had "already built warm, trusting relationships throughout the school" since the merger.

Ofsted said improvements were needed in relation to assessments and the precision with which teachers adapted to meet students' needs.

It also highlighted the checks teachers made to assess how well students learned the curriculum did not identify their starting points or gaps in knowledge.

It found senior leaders had an accurate self-evaluation of the school's strength and areas for improvement.

The report added throughout the process, the leadership remained committed to balancing improvement strategies with staff wellbeing and workload.

Where weaknesses were identified, there was a clear commitment to improve with the aim of ensuring that all students receive a high-quality education, the report said.

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