Size of outdoor space at new schools is ‘far less than UK standards’
THE new school at Les Beaucamps will have 70% less outdoor space than UK recommended standards, and the Baubigny school will have 40% less.
While the buildings have inside space well in excess of UK standards, outside space falls short.
The president of Education, Sport & Culture, Deputy Matt Fallaize, made the revelation in response to questions from Deputy Carl Meerveld.
The outdoor space at De Sausmarez College, including De Lisles church, is set to be 21,217 square metres, and at Victor Hugo college it is 42,697sq m.
Deputy Fallaize said it was because of the pressure on land in Guernsey: ‘The inside of UK schools would be substantially smaller, it might well be that in some, but by no means all schools, the outdoor space would be greater, but this is a function of living in a small island where land is at a premium.
‘There has got to be a balance between providing the space that is needed to have high quality facilities, accessible to all of our students, at a cost the taxpayer is willing to pay. We have struck that balance in the proposals which have been approved by the States in September 2019 and we are now trying to take the Policy & Resources Committee through various business cases.’
ESC is investigating whether it could buy a green field near the Les Beaucamps site to boost the space, although the committee does not deem that to be ‘essential’.
Deputy Fallaize said the new schools would have much more outdoor space than Elizabeth College and used the word ‘comfortable’ several times during his exchange with Deputy Meerveld. ‘These colleges will provide facilities to a much higher standard than most secondary school students have at the present time. The committee is very comfortable with that, and is putting forward its plans on that basis. Staggered lunchtime arrangements will mean only half the students being at lunch or in recreational time at any one time. There will be multiple recreational facilities at both colleges and our school leaders are comfortable with the plans in this regard.
‘If any deputy is concerned about outdoor spaces in our schools they should be more concerned with our primary schools. For example, at Vauvert primary school there is only 2,318sq m of outdoor space and at Notre Dame du Rosaire primary school there is only 1,594 sq m.’
Education member Deputy Rhian Tooley said there was a ‘world of difference between low and too low’.
