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Which primary schools will feed to which secondary schools under the temporary four school all ability system have been announced - with little change to the current catchment areas of the three existing high schools.
The pupils currently in year five at the island's States run primary schools will be the first to move to secondary education under the new all ability system when they move to their new schools in September 2019.
They won't sit the 11+ and they won't have the option of a scholarship to one of the colleges or a place at the existing Guernsey Grammar School, which has its last intake of students starting in September 2018 - meaning unless they have a fee paid place at Elizabeth, Ladies or Blanchelande colleges they will automatically be enrolled at either Les Beaucamps, St Sampson's or La Mare de Carteret high schools or the renamed Les Varendes site.
The Les Varendes site will educate a mix of Grammar School pupils and all ability pupils; with the sixth form centre also operating, under the temporary system until the island moves to just two secondary school sites. The two sites which will be the preferred options for the new executive secondary school is still expected to be announced before the October half term this year.
Letters were sent to parents of those children who will be affected first yesterday detailing the new "partner school" system. The information contained the new partner schools as pictured above.
Until this school year, secondary school places were allocated through catchment zones based on where children live (pictured below). That is changing under the new system, with pupils at different primary schools now directly enrolling at one of the four all ability schools, as detailed above.
Pictured: The catchment zones under the current system which had three high schools - the new all ability system will feature primary schools partnered with one of the four all ability schools ahead of the move to a two-school system
Hautes Capelles, St Mary and St Michael and Vale primaries will all now partner with St Sampson's High School, La Houguette, La Mare de Carteret and Vauvert primaries will all partner with La Mare de Carteret, Castel , Forest and St Martin's primaries will partner with Les Beaucamps while Amherst and Notre Dame will partner with Les Varendes.
It is already anticipated that some pupils may need an "out of catchment" place at secondary school under the new partner school system, so that has already been catered for.
The Committee for Education, Sport and Culture said in a "limited range of circumstances parents may be able to apply for their child to attend a different secondary school" with information and guidelines on how these requests can be made, and under what circumstances they may be granted, to be published at gov.gg/partnerschools. That information will be available before the October half term this year.
ESC said "such requests will not be accepted until 1 November and must be submitted by 30 November. Capacity is limited at all secondary schools and therefore it may not be possible for requests to be approved."
Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said announcing the secondary schools for current year 5 pupils now actually offers the children and parents more certainty than they had under the previous system, which included places allocated by 11+.
"The Committee has been determined to stick to its commitment that by the end of this school year pupils in Year 5 and their parents and guardians would have certainty about which secondary school they will attend in September 2019. This is the first year group which will enter all-ability secondary schools." he said.
"Under the previous system parents have been used to learning which secondary school their child will attend about two-thirds of their way through Year 6. This announcement today means that parents of Year 5 children know which secondary school their child will attend around 14 months before they start secondary school."
Pictured: Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture
He also confirmed the two sites under the new model of secondary education will be announced in October as previously announced. That will include information on secondary school places for the parents of pupils currently in year 4.
"Before the October half term this year we will announce the two school sites which will be used for secondary education in the future and the full transition plan to move to one school in two 11-18 colleges," Deputy Fallaize. "This will include confirming the secondary schools for pupils currently in Year 4, which will be nearly two years before they start at secondary school."
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