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The planned 'two school model' will be based over campuses created at the current St Sampson and Les Beaucamps high schools, meaning secondary education could end at the Grammar School and La Mare de Carteret sites.
Under proposals released to teaching staff and parents of children currently in the education system yesterday, the Committee for Education, Sport and Culture has outlined its plans for one school to be created over two sites, for children aged 11-18.
If the States approve the latest version of plans for the future of secondary education during a debate planned for next year, the work will start immediately with the full transition completed by 2023.
There will be some disruption for children at some primary and secondary schools currently, but many will not be affected at all.
The transition plans for all children within the States sector have been laid out with only those children currently in years five and six at Amherst, Notre Dame, La Houguette, La Mare de Carteret and Vauvert primaries likely to have to face moving schools after they make the change from primary to secondary school.
Pictured: The transition plans for children currently at primary school.
Of those children already at secondary school, the transition plans published yesterday suggest the number who will be affected by having to move school has been minimised.
Of all of the children currently studying at one of the three high schools or the Grammar School, the new plans will affect those in year seven at La Mare de Carteret the most. They will have to move to Les Beaucamps at a later date to complete their secondary education. Plans also include a rebuild for La Mare Primary School, on the current site.
Pictured: The secondary school transition plans.
Transition plans for those currently studying at post 16 level have also been published - giving an idea of what options will be available at the two new campuses - to be known as colleges - once the St Sampson and Les Beaucamps sites have been extended.
Those students currently in years nine and above will be able to study at the current Sixth Form Centre linked with the Grammar School or at the College of Further Education.
Students currently in years seven and eight will be the first to study at post 16 level in one of the island's two 11-18 colleges, under the one school/two sites model.
Pictured: Transition plans for students at post 16 level.
The proposals for the so called 'two school model' don't include Alderney or the Bailiwick's two special needs secondary schools.
St Anne's School will continue to provide secondary education in Alderney, while Le Murier and Les Voies School in Guernsey will continue to provide for students with special educational needs.
In terms of the size of the two new schools, they will be broadly similar with the number of students studying at each college in line with the average size of "the highest- attaining comprehensive schools nationally, almost all of which also have sixth forms."
No costings have been revealed yet for the planned extension works at either Les Beaucamps or St Sampsons, or for any other work including the proposed development of a singe site to house the College of FE, the GTA University Centre and the Institute of Health and Social Care Studies.
In the letter sent to parents and staff, the ESC committee said it will take a report to the States by the middle of next year to ask for funding for the necessary building works.
Pictured: Deputy Matt Fallaize, President of ESC.
In a separate statement, released to the media under embargo until 00:01 Thursday 25 October, Deputy Matt Fallaize, the President of ESC said:
"The Committee considers that these two sites are clearly the best locations for the two 11 to 18 colleges. All of the site options have been researched and the Committee has taken an objective view based on the practicalities of each site.
"The two sites which we wish to use present a cost-effective option. Other site options would be more expensive and/or create too much disruption for students. Using the sites which currently have the highest standard of facilities – mostly because they have been built more recently – removes the need to build a completely new school at La Mare de Carteret and to carry out extensive refurbishment of the Les Varendes site, which is nearly 35 years old and which would have required students there to move to another site during refurbishment before being moved back.
"The school at Baubigny was opened in 2008 at a cost of £43.5m, while the school at Les Beaucamps was opened in 2012 at a cost of £37m."
Deputy Fallaize insisted in his statement that the plans are about much more than buildings and he believes the changes will lead to "the best possible opportunities" for island children.
"While buildings are important, clearly education is about much more than buildings. Throughout this period of change the Committee will continue to work with educationalists and other colleagues in schools to ensure that the main focus remains on providing the best possible opportunities for the students of today and tomorrow. We are determined to capture the very best of our existing schools in their two successor colleges" he said.
"In the coming months and years we will work closely with our teaching profession and their union representatives as we transition from four sites to two. The Committee confirms that there will be a teaching position for all current secondary teachers who want one following the reforms. This will, however, be a period of change for staff and a collaborative approach with open dialogue is essential."
Pictured top: The current St Sampson's High and Les Beaucamps High sites.
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