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Guernsey’s sixth form students will be moving temporarily to La Mare de Carteret as the Transforming Education Programme slowly picks up pace.
It’s a temporary solution, filling the gap as the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture pushes forward with developing a new sixth form centre at Les Ozouets.
The Director of Education, Nick Hynes, said: “Whilst we recognise that the LMDC school is not a viable long-term solution our external assurance partner has agreed that is appropriate to use for the four-year interim period until the new Sixth Form Centre is built at LOC.”
It’s a controversial move, not least because the quality of the LMDC building has been the focal point of discussion for several years, with talks about demolishing it completely being kicked around in 2018.
Work is now being done to bring it up to the sixth form standard expected by teachers and students, even if only for temporary use. ESC argues that it’s a cheaper move - £141,000 – compared to developing the current sixth form centre, Les Varendes.
Questions and answers about cost will surface over the next couple of days – as 17 Rule 14 questions probing the cost of keeping students at Les Varendes will shortly be published – but the direction of travel continues to be a move to LMDC.
It’s no secret that LMDC is past its prime and investment is needed to keep it running, especially if it is to serve as a temporary sixth form centre.
Over recent years there have been a number of upgrades to the LMDC campus, including;
Refurbished Portacabins
Significant work on the roof, doors and windows to make the building wind and watertight and replaced the doors to the front entrance
New carpets in most of the downstairs areas and classrooms where needed
Complete decoration throughout the circulation areas and identified classrooms
Upgrade of the food technology room and the science classrooms
Replacement of old furniture with new
Purchase of new lockers
£141,000 is now being funnelled into additional upgrades, including updates to the science lab, the creation of a dark room, modifications to the art room, and an IT media suite.
“In summary, the Sixth Form Centre will operate from LMDC using, for the most part, spaces that are currently being used for 11-16 education; for example, A level Chemistry will be taught in the existing Chemistry Lab,” said Mr Hynes.
“There are very few ‘practical’ alterations that need to take place. These include the addition of an IT rich/media suite and a fume cupboard for practical chemistry at a higher level.
“The current Library will already lend itself very well to a library/ study space for sixth form students.”
Kieran James has moved from Les Varendes to become the LMDC Sixth Form’s Principal, and he has been working with staff to prepare for the move.
At the beginning of March the new school ‘team leaders’ will have been assigned new roles in the reorganisation process and will be working with senior staff to lead the transition.
“The whole staffing reorganisation process is due to be completed in the summer and this gives us one whole academic year to plan for the curriculum delivery,” said Mr Hynes.
He said there is a detailed communication plan for transitioning to the centre, including opportunities for students to visit LMDC, open conversation with parents, and regular updates on “changes and investment”.
The LMDC is an interim measure. This has been stressed by ESC and Education multiple times, and the four-year period is said to be firm.
The funding for the foundations of a new campus at Les Ozouets was agreed by the States of Guernsey in January. Mr Hynes said spades could be in the ground by August this year putting Education on track to start shifting students over to the campus by December 2026 and completely opening the campus by September 2027.
The only question now is whether the States of Guernsey are able to finally finish the TEP and see it through to completion.
"I think it's so important for us to be setting ourselves on a course and a trajectory of forward momentum after such a long period of uncertainty in education in Guernsey,” concluded Deputy Dudley-Owen.
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