It's party time for saved St Andrew's

THERE were jubilant scenes at St Andrew's Primary School yesterday. Education Minister Carol Steere announced at 9.30am in the States that the parish school, which had been threatened with closure, was safe.

'It was relief and shock more than excitement. When they told me I didn't know whether to laugh or cry,' said Mary Sebire, head teacher at the school. 'I was extremely nervous and not very hopeful, to be honest.'

It has been three years and two months since the school was first earmarked for closure as part of a cost-cutting exercise by the Education Department.

It was a bittersweet result for Ms Sebire, who was head teacher at St Sampson's Infants School for 10 years before joining St Andrew's 13 years ago. St Sampson's Infants School will close in July 2010. Ms Sebire told the 150 pupils and some parents and PTA members in the school's assembly yesterday morning.

'I explained to the children what had happened and there was stunned silence and then lots of clapping and cheering. Then I said that we must think about the children at St Sampson's Infants and what it would have been like if that had been us,' she said.

Children celebrated with a double break-time and there are two parties already in the pipeline.