ESC outlines the costs of maintaining Herm School

The Education, Sport & Culture Committee has given more details on the cost of keeping Herm School open and maintained that it does not provide value for money.

Herm School could have just one pupil next academic year. The island is fighting to keep it, but the Education Committee questions the value of a spend of some £200,000 on the school each year. (Picture by Sophie Rabey, 33809582)

The single room primary school currently only has two pupils, although there are another eight pre school children living on the island who could start at the school in the coming years.

The island’s leaseholder John Singer had questioned a statement made in the States by the president of Education Sport & Culture, Andrea Dudley-Owen, who said that the cost of continuing with education on Herm could be up to £200,000 in 2025.

Nick Hynes, director of Education, clarified that the school’s costs for 2024 are projected to be £184,000.

‘Dependent upon the age and number of children who access the provision in September 2025, this could remain the same or increase to £206,000,’ he said.

The costs are calculated by taking into consideration staffing, travel and classroom resources.

‘At the moment, we can confirm we only have one child registered to attend Herm from September 2025. This not only presents challenges regarding the delivery of a curriculum, but is clearly not value for money.’

He added that the building in Herm used as a classroom was owned by the States and therefore the States Property Unit were responsible its upkeep and running costs.

Education announced in May 2023 that it would close Herm School on a one-year trial basis from September, but deputies forced the committee to reopen the school just a few weeks after the closure when they backed a requete led by David De Lisle.

‘Despite high quality staff being in place, we maintain our previously-raised concerns about the ability to deliver the quality of education necessary across such a broad age range and with such low numbers,’ said Mr Hynes.

‘Learners attending the education provision in Herm are entitled to receive the same broad, rich curriculum as their peers in Guernsey, and it is the committee’s responsibility to ensure this entitlement is realised – however, there are several barriers to being able to achieve this.’