Tuesday 02 July 2019
The Committee for Education, Sport & Culture is releasing details of its capital funding request to deliver the future structure of secondary, further and higher education.
The capital cost of extending the secondary schools at St Sampson's and Les Beaucamps will be at least £30million less than originally forecast when the States agreed the 'one school in two colleges' model in 2018.
The capital cost of a brand-new purpose-built development at Les Ozouets for further and higher education will be around £20million less than originally forecast.
In the States debate on the future structure of education last year, the States were told that the capital cost of extending Les Beaucamps and St Sampson's would be around £100million. But the current Committee has announced that it will ask the States for a maximum of £69million for the extensions.
In the same States debate, the States were told that it could cost up to £67million to develop a new purpose-built College of Further Education at Les Ozouets. But the current Committee has announced that it will ask the States for a maximum of £47.5million to develop The Guernsey Institute, which brings together the College of Further Education, the Institute of Health & Social Care Studies and the GTA University Centre.
The full details will be included in a Policy Letter which the Committee will submit later this week.
In total the Committee forEducation, Sport & Culture is asking the States to approve £157.3 million of capital funding to deliver the future structure of secondary, further and higher education agreed by the States last year. Financial modelling has been based on minimum and maximum requirements for each element of the programme. The figure announced represents the maximum capital spend required.
This figure has been broken down as follows:
- Up to £69 million - redevelopment of St Sampson's High & Les Beaucamps High
- Between £13.5 and £22.4 million - redevelopment of the Mare de Carteret Primary School (depending on whether it is a two or three form entry)
- £47 million for the Guernsey Institute at Les Ozouets campus
The remainder of the capital funding requested will cover transport (the development of active transport solutions to provide more sustainable journeys to school and manage traffic impact), professional fees, programme team and the implementation of the digital roadmap.
Deputy Fallaize commented on the capital costs:
'These are big numbers but they represent a significant reduction on the figures presented to the States in January 2018 when the Assembly was advised that the new model of education would cost around £165 million in capital costs.
These reductions have been achieved partly through the use of more realistic space specifications and partly through rigorous examination of what is required to achieve educational transformation of secondary education.'
The capital funding requested for the rebuild of La Mare de Carteret Primary school has included proposals for a 'Pod' which is a facility for children under the age of 9 whose ability to cope in mainstream school is affected by emotional or mental health difficulties. This provision will complement that provided by Les Voies School for pupils 9+.
As well as details on the capital costs of the future model, ESC has provided information on the annual revenue savings of the new model. It will deliver annual recurring revenue savings of between £1.8million and £2.2million per year.
Deputy Fallaize said:
'I am delighted that we have been able to demonstrate this level of recurring savings, whilst at the same time improving the offer in our 11-18 schools for example. Our Policy Letter sets out how this will be achieved.
The capital funding requested will enable the current Committee, and indeed every future Committee, to deliver an exceptional education system that removes the current inequality in provision experienced by our students; puts their educational needs and wellbeing at the centre of everything we do; and will ensure that they are provided with opportunities that allow them to develop personally and contribute to the social, economic and cultural life of the Bailiwick'.
