Three-school model expected to ‘cost less than £60m.’
EDUCATION’S proposed three-school secondary and post-16 model is expected to cost less than £60m., it was revealed at the first public meeting last night.
Education, Sport & Culture president Andrea Dudley-Owen and vice-president Bob Murray took to the stage to present their committee’s ideas for three 11 to 16 secondary schools at St Sampson’s, Les Beaucamps and Les Varendes. Each would have capacity for up to 780 pupils.
There will also be a single campus for a sixth form centre and the Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets, with the former St Peter Port School demolished and rebuilt.
The meeting came ahead of Education’s policy letter being submitted tomorrow.
Some 300 people were viewing the meeting online at the start, rising towards 400 as the meeting progressed, but numbers present at Les Beaucamps school hall were low and dominated by current and former politicians.
Deputy Dudley-Owen admitted that there no silver bullet for the plans to be popular with everyone. But she said the States had to commit to an option now.
‘It’s great that people are so passionate about education,’ she said.
‘But the turbulence and uncertainty, caused by years of indecision and changes in strategic direction, which I also played a part in, have got to come to an end.’
She said the capital cost for the work was expected to cost less than £60m. This compares with a forecast £69m. cost for the two 11-18 schools proposed by the previous committee, part of total capital costs of £157m. for the whole two-school model.
‘These costs have been kept down by making the best use of the most modern school buildings we are using today.’
She said the new system would not cost more than the current secondary system to run.
She asked the audience to note the falling birth rate and changing job landscape of the future.
‘We have to deliver a model that is fit for an uncertain future.’
Deputy Dudley-Owen said that the committee had chosen not to have a post-16 site on any of the secondary school sites, as it might cause that school to morph into a 11-18 school.
‘The committee does not believe this is a fair approach to education.’
Deputy Murray warned that tomorrow’s policy letter would not contain operational detail, but rather the general model.
‘Quite simply it’s not for the States Assembly to decide how schools are run, how best to recruit or retain staff or what the curriculum should be,’ he said
‘That is best left to the experts of the profession.’
At this stage, the committee is only aiming to get its general ideas approved by the States. If that is supported, pupils would not see changes until September 2023. The new system would be in place in 2024.
Deputy Murray said no learners would have to move more than once and cohorts would not be split. The new feeder system would see Castel, St Martin’s, Forest and La Houguette feed into Les Beaucamps. La Mare, Hautes Capelles and Vale into St Sampson’s, while Vauvert, Amherst, Notre Dame and St Mary & St Michael would go to Les Varendes.
Audience questions focused on the transition and public reaction.
A second public meeting is being held at Les Varendes from 6-8pm tonight. It will not be livestreamed.
