La Mare and Grammar heads named as principals of new 11-18 colleges

Mrs Godley has been teaching at La Mare de Carteret since 2011 and is currently the head teacher there, while Mr James is acting head teacher at the Grammar School and Sixth Form Centre.

Education president Matt Fallaize announced the news.

‘These appointments are a critical step in the development of our secondary education model based on two 11-18 colleges operating as one school,’ he said.

‘Vicky and Kieran will continue to work closely with Liz Coffey, the executive head teacher, to shape and develop the future vision and operating model of the new school.’

Mrs Godley will be designate principal of La Mare de Carteret High School and Les Beaucamps High School and, from September 2020, will lead the college operating at Les Beaucamps and La Mare until education ceases at the latter in summer 2022.

Mr James will be designate principal of Les Varendes and St Sampson’s High School, taking leadership of the college operating at both sites in September 2020 until education ceases at Les Varendes in summer 2023.

Under the transition plans announced by the Education committee last year, from September 2021 all Year 7 students will enter one of the new colleges at Les Beaucamps or St Sampson’s.

Mrs Godley said she was looking forward to the role.

‘I am thrilled to achieve the role of designate principal within the new transformational schools framework,’ she said.

‘It presents an exciting challenge where I will continue to work hard for island children. I look forward to working with colleagues, parents and students to ensure we maintain high quality learning experiences which create opportunity and ambition for all of our young people.’

Mr James said he was delighted to be part of the team leading the transformation of secondary and post-16 education.

‘This is an exciting time and an enormous opportunity for education locally and I look forward greatly to the development of one school in two colleges that will be great places in which to learn and to work,’ he said.

‘I am committed to ensuring continuity and a smooth transition for our students and staff and to enabling them to make the most of the opportunities it presents.’

Executive head teacher Liz Coffey said the appointments were a major step forward in setting out the staff structure of the new schools.

‘It is important that the leadership of the new school shapes the future staffing structure and curriculum model, as part of one school,’ she said.