Final push needed to get forest school off the ground

Monday 30 July 2018

The team behind Hambury Elementary School, a new nursery and primary school aiming to be a breath of fresh air for children and parents in Jersey, are still looking for investors in order to purchase a £1.9 milllion building and site.

Philippa Alexandre, and her business partner Emma are now looking to raise the last £425,000.

The pair are hoping to open Hambury Elementary School for children aged 3-11 years in 2019. The school aims to be a breath fo fresh air in the island by putting the natural world, mindfulness and community at the heart of their alternative education programme. Philippa described Hambury Elementary's brand new concept as "an inclusive, nature based primary school and nursery... where children learn by doing."

Philippa has been working with children and families in Jersey for over 17 years, and currently runs various groups and workshops for kids including 'Nature’s Child' holiday club, 'Tinker Tots' and 'Sticky Kids Messy Play' classes. 

She says that the vision is for Hambury Elementary to provide an alternative to mainstream education which doesn't suit every child: “We have looked at what our Jersey children and families need and have designed a school to encourage mental and emotional well-being alongside academic success."

Pictured: Food growing and preparation will be part of students' daily timetable at Hambury Elementary.

Just a day after the launch of their website, Emma and Philippa received a lot of interest from local families. Philippa said: "Something new and different isn't always easy to understand. On the other hand the interest and positive feedback from parents and families has been incredible. In 24 hours of launching our register of interest on our website, we had over 100 applications. To fill the school at full capacity in seven years we only need 104 children!"

Emma and Phillipa have also received the support of the Education department. "They have again been really helpful and supportive," said Philippa. "We are still in discussions with the Planning department as this isn't a usual type of school and doesn't necessarily tick the boxes for planning regulations."

But to make the school a reality, the pair still needs something crucial: money. Having found the perfect site for their school, they are hoping to get investors on board sooner rather than later. With the property already on the market and other potential buyers interested in buying it, the clock is ticking for Hambury Elementary. 

Philippa said: "Our self imposed deadline for investors was the end of July as the property is currently for sale on the open market and the vendor has been very patient holding it for us."

Pictured: Philippa Alexandre has worked with children and families in Jersey for over 17 years, at her holiday camp 'Nature's Child'.

To convince investors, the pair has put together a pack of perks which they say will offer a 27% return on their investment plus 8% shares in the school. They also now offer 1% shares and multiples of that, starting at £53,250. But the financial perks have not been enough to convince some who find it hard to grasp what the team is trying to achieve.

Philippa says: "Some feedback from potential investors has been that the offer is very generous and they love the idea but don't always understand the alternative education structure that we'd be offering.

"Hambury Elementary School could be an incredible opportunity for Jersey to lead the way in Education, not just in the Channel Islands or the UK but in the world. We have the ideas, knowledge and experience... We just need that financial backing to make it a reality. We don't know what we will do if we don't get the investment or this particular site. We've spent five years looking for the perfect site, along with lots of planning advice, and nothing has been as perfect as this site."