La Mare teachers let fly at ESC’s schools’ plan

In a letter sent to all deputies – published in full in today’s Guernsey Press – four teachers, including three department heads, have accused Education of failing to run the committee efficiently, not providing enough information, favouring Grammar over La Mare, despite Grammar needing repairs, claiming that their school was not fit for purpose without evidence, and providing conflicting information.

The letter appealed to all deputies to reject the contents of Education preferred model policy letter and has made a late bid to revert to a model of four high schools.

Mathematics head Sonia Hewitt, history head Jane Champion, art, design and technology and resistant materials head Wendy Shapcott, and English, PE, PSHE and RE teacher Emma Hughes put their names to the letter – and said they had they were backed by the majority of La Mare staff.

‘Plans remain unplanned and major decisions are not even thought of, let alone thought-through,’ the letter said.

‘The major frustration of the La Mare staff is not only the sheer lack of information but the conflicting information being given to us and other bodies.’

The letter cited three examples bearing out their argument, including the ‘revelation’ that Education president Andrea Dudley-Owen saying on radio that the La Mare site would be used for social housing when, 24 hours previously, the teachers had been told there were no plans in place for the site.

‘I could go on about conflicting messages. It strikes us more that either ESC committee do not know what is going on or they’re telling the different institutions different things,’ the letter said.

The teachers said they did not believe the sixth form could be staffed without the need for teachers to travel around the island and they accused Education of failing to consult the four schools’ teaching staff on the issue.

They questioned how a suggested move of La Mare students from three full year groups to Les Varendes in academic year 2023-24 could be staffed, and said that the idea contradicted earlier information given to La Mare teachers.

They also cast doubt on Education’s plans for the other two current high schools. ‘It begs [sic] belief as to how the ESC committee propose to fit approximately 480 into St Sampson’s and Les Beaucamps without further development to extending both schools.’

The teachers said the focus should be on a solution offering the greatest educational outcomes for the young people of Guernsey. ‘The current proposal does not offer that’.

Education was invited to respond yesterday.