Guernsey's combined post-16 school campus opening delayed

Some of Guernsey's schools.
Credit: ITV Channel

Guernsey's new post-16 school campus is now set to be operational a year later than initially proposed.

The new campus at Les Ouzets was due to open in September 2024, but the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture has taken the decision to postpone over fears of construction delays and additional costs.

The decision means La Mare de Carteret school will remain open for an extra year until July 2025, with the last intake of year 7 students in the 2022-23 academic year set to go ahead as planned.

Local construction firms who are currently bidding to work on the post-16 campus say that while it it is 'theoretically possible' to complete the build by September 2024, it would be a tight timeline and could be impacted by factors such as adverse weather or access to materials or specialist equipment.

Transition period for staff and students

  • La Mare de Carteret High School will remain open for an extra year until July 2025, with the school’s last intake of Year 7 students this September, for the 2022/23 academic year, going ahead as planned.

  • This is in line with the updated feeder school system which was announced by the Committee last year.

  • The updated feeder school system will still come into effect in September 2023 with no changes.

Current Year 5 pupils in Guernsey will follow this feeder system when transferring from Primary to Secondary schools.

  • Les Beaucamps - Castel, La Houguette, Forest, St Martin’s

  • St Sampson’s - La Mare de Carteret, Hautes Capelles, Vale

  • Les Varendes - Amherst, Notre Dame, St Mary & St Michael, Vauvert

  • La Mare de Carteret - No Year 7 intake from September 2023

When the new model is completed in September 2025, students from La Mare de Carteret High will all move together to the Les Varendes site as planned.

The Sixth Form Centre will remain in place at Les Varendes until July 2025.

Financial implications of the project

The Committee says that the savings of moving to a single post-16 campus, estimated at around £1.2 million, will not now be seen until 2026 and that more costs may now be involved in extending the programme.

However, it says insisting on a 2024 opening date would have risked increased costs to meet an "arbitrary" deadline which contractors have suggested would be challenging. In turn the Committee says extending the deadline reduces the risk of costs overrunning.

Deputy Andrea Dudley-Owen, President of the Committee for Education, Sport & Culture, said: "We’ve been open with the community in recent months that the timeline for implementing the new model for secondary and post-16 education was under significant pressures outside of our Committee’s control.

"I’m obviously disappointed that we’ve had to reluctantly agree a new timeframe for the new buildings at the Les Ozouets Campus.

"This is frustrating primarily as it is an additional year before the benefits of the new system will begin to be felt, but I am satisfied that a huge amount of effort has gone in to looking at everything possible to maintain the initial timeline and this really is a case of recognising the external factors being outside of anyone’s control."

Deputy Dudley-Owen has said the Committee is aware that this will come as disappointing news to islanders but is ensuring that this is the "best decision in the interests of our students and staff" and is making the best use of public funds.

"It is much more important that we get it right, rather than rushing to meet an arbitrary deadline and introducing unnecessary risks."