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Deputy Lindsay de Sausmarez has received the answers to seventeen technical questions she posed to the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture on Les Varendes and the intention to move sixth form students to La Mare de Carteret.
The questions were posed following the decision by the States of Guernsey to fund the start of the Transforming Education Programme, which includes installing the foundations of a new sixth form centre at Les Ozouets.
ESC is also working towards moving sixth form students from Les Varendes to a temporary sixth form centre at La Mare de Carteret High School while the Les Ozouets campus is constructed. ESC argues that Les Varendes is not fit for changes in educational provision and it is more cost effective to retrofit the LMDC instead of making upgrades to Les Varendes.
It’s this topic that Deputy de Sausmarez has sought to understand fully, by prying out specifics around cost and space.
Her first question was: Is there enough total space at Les Varendes (LVHS) to accommodate the projected student numbers across the full range of Years 7 to 13, including students transitioning to LVHS from La Mare de Carteret High School (LMDCHS), between now and 2029 (‘the interim period’)?
It was followed by a second question on teaching space.
ESC’s answer to the first question was ‘no’ and said there is “insufficient space” at the current campus to allow for "provision of appropriate teaching, non-teaching and extra-curricular spaces”.
“In 2023, the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture considered external analysis by Peter Marsh Consulting of the options available for the interim accommodation of the Sixth Form Centre,” said the President of ESC, Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen.
“This analysis included consideration of whether there would be enough gross space at Les Varendes High School, in 2025/26, to house both the planned 11-16 school and the Sixth Form Centre. This analysis did not assume that other education services would be based at the site...
“The report by Peter Marsh Consulting referenced in the response to Question 1 also considered the sufficiency of teaching space at LVHS, for the combination of year 7 to 13 students in 2025/26. This found that this arrangement ‘falls short on teaching area compared to both min and max BB103 allowances by between 469 and 1,236m2’.
“We have received written confirmation from the report authoring team that, due to the methodology they have used, this space shortfall remains the same if the site was run as a single school, as opposed to two discrete standalone institutions.”
Pictured: You can read the full set of Deputy de Sausmarez's questions ONLINE
Deputy de Sausmarez also revealed through questioning that ancillary services could “in theory” be accommodated at LMDC while sixth form students remain at Les Ozouets, however this option would be “the least favourable option”.
Additionally, she asked to what extent Les Varendes utilises “external sports facilities” to which the answer was 22.9% during the week.
The questions come as rumours continue to circulate about requetes being developed that could see the long-delayed school model revisited again.
During an interview with Express the Director of Education, Nick Hynes, said any change now would disrupt the current period of stability.
“I don’t mind being held to account for my job,” he said.
“But for the last ten years, if not longer, within the secondary phase, staff are being asked to deliver things around a culture of uncertainty and instability, and trying to deliver a consistent, stable education system with one hand tied behind your back.
“And still being held to account by what you’re delivering is really difficult and challenging. What we need is a period of stability... and any change now would throw that up in the air again.”
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