Water damage sees Coutanchez and Delancey close until Monday

Thursday 02 November 2023

Guernsey Institute studies cannot continue as planned tomorrow due to significant water ingress into its aged buildings following Storm Ciaran, but all other States education sites will open in Guernsey and Alderney.

Education said the issues with the two post-16 sites are due to “pre-existing issues with the buildings” and assessments today determined they couldn’t be returned to a safe or comfortable state in time for teaching on Friday.

The Performing Arts Centre at Les Ozouets will also close, but all three sites are expected to open again on Monday.

Other assessments into schools have been completed and inspectors are satisfied all can open to students and staff tomorrow, having been “relatively unscathed” by the weather.

Parents and carers are asked to take extra time to get to schools due to poor conditions on the roads, with an update on bus services, which were suspended throughout the storm, coming later today. 

Pictured: There will be no studies for Guernsey Institute students for the rest of the week.

The issues for the Guernsey Institute come just weeks after political plans for the construction of a new post-16 campus at Les Ozouets were defunded by the States, and reports revealed the ongoing water leakage issues in some teaching areas.

Nick Hynes, Director of Education, said while it’s pleasing the rest of schools can proceed with operations the situation at the Coutanchez and Delancey is bleak.

“Many teaching areas of both sites had standing water this morning and there just isn’t time to address the damage before tomorrow. It’s disappointing but unsurprising given the combination of such severe storm conditions and facilities which is well documented as already being challenging to operate from,” he said.

For other schools, he added: “Disruption on the roads is likely, however, so I would urge parents and carers to plan ahead and keep an eye out of updates on bus services, leaving additional time for their children to get to school. Wherever possible, transport will be provided as usual for children attending Special Schools and support bases [i.e. CIAS], but there may be instances in which alternative arrangements may need to be made."