Fresh start at Les Varendes
THE latest phase of renewing the roof is the biggest piece of work being done at Les Varendes High School, the former Grammar School.
This started several years ago and this summer a section around the internal courtyard is being tackled.
Old tiles were made of asbestos and cement but Mr Willcocks said the replacements are all natural slate.
‘There were leaks,’ he said. ‘Over the last few years we’ve targeted the worst areas and we’ll get around to doing the whole thing gradually.’
A flat area on top of the roof was also being refurbished, with the old asphalt getting cleaned and a liquid poured on top which would harden into a new coating.
One section that is going to be tackled another year is the row of glass panels over the former swimming pool, which protect the solar panels that heated the pool.
Before being replaced by slate, Mr Willcocks said the opportunity might be taken to talk to Guernsey Electricity about the possibility of having new solar panels installed on the roof.
Apex Roofing was tackling the tiles while inside the school RefCo was overhauling the school’s electrical switching rooms and Interior Systems were redecorating.
Among the redecoration was a new tile ceiling and lights in one corridor.
Like the roof, the corridors were being worked on in phases, starting with those in the worst state of repair.
The main foyer was also being redecorated and Mr Willcocks said this was the first time since the school was built that the ceilings were being replaced.
‘Work is very much done on a condition basis. It’s a collaboration between the head teacher, the premises manager and the facilities manager.’
There was a stark contrast between the pristine white tiles being installed and the 40-year-old greying ones that still existed in some areas.
The electrical switching rooms around the school were also being replaced in their first major overhaul since the building opened. ‘It’s reached the end of its life and you can’t get parts for it anymore,’ said Mr Willcocks.
Student toilets near the school’s lecture theatre were the third area having a big renovation, with all-new plumbing, electrics, ceilings, lights and fittings.
Renovation costs for schools
Work at Les Varendes is being carried out for about £350,000 and the same amount is being spent at Castel.
Les Beaucamps is costing about £200,000.
