‘La Mare de Carteret Sixth Form Centre has opened to students for the first time – with at least four year groups of teenagers expected to study for their A-levels at the site.
The former High School has already seen generations of islanders receive their education there, having started life in the 1970s as a ‘temporary’ Secondary School before being central to numerous debates on how many schools we needed, and whether it should be rebuilt or not.
For now, it remains in the educational estate – adjacent to La Mare de Carteret Primary School.
Both had some maintenance work carried out over the summer, with the new Sixth Form Centre being transformed from a school into a new location for education at a higher level.
The school’s Assembly Hall now acts as a place for senior students to gather, sit, eat, and relax.
The former gym has become a multi-purpose room, prepped for sport as it always was, but also now the place where students will sit exams, be briefed by teachers, and learn about the comings and goings of fellow students and teachers.
The outside space, now dubbed the ‘courtyard’ has received a massive facelift. Gone are the markings of a playground, and in their place sit benches made and donated by CLIP (the Community Learning in Prison project). The outside learning facilities have had a splash of paint, thanks to volunteers, organisations, and local artists.
The summer has seen a whirlwind of activities, and the Head of Guernsey’s Sixth Form, Kieran James was pleased with the results, and the reception from students on day one.
“I think we’re all really thrilled, students and staff, with what we’ve achieved.
“A lot of students were involved. There was a design board of students, and we ran all the design ideas past them, everything from the look and feel to the dress code. So they’ve been part and parcel of developing what’s here.
Mr James continued: “Some of our students have been in over the summer holidays as volunteers, helping to paint and decorate in their own time.”
It wasn’t just down to the staff and students to volunteer up time and resources to get the Sixth Form Centre ready for the big day.
“We’re thrilled with the community involvement in this,” Mr James said.
“To date, we’ve had volunteers come over in from all over the island, from about 40 different organisations and individuals.”
He continued: “Everything from helping us with painting and decorating, to donations of things like table-footballs. The Community Learning in Prison Project has created our picnic benches for us, we’ve received plenty of plants. All these sorts of things have been very kindly donated.”
When the States announced the site would be used as a Sixth Form Centre, it was announced that the measure was a temporary one, and that at some point in its future, it will once again be moving home.
However, Mr James emphasised they will offer a permanent education, even from a temporary structure.
“I think it’s really important to say that whilst this may be a temporary move for the Sixth Form Centre, a lot of what we have here will be coming with us to our final destination, wherever that ends up being.
“But we’re not treating this as temporary, and I’m not going to refer to it as a temporary Sixth Form Centre. The students only get one shot at their post 16 education. This is it. They have two years, and we’re going to give the best two years they can have.”
When students gathered on day one of the new term, it seemed the current cohort have already felt the difference between the long gone High School environment, and the new Sixth Form vibe at La Mare de Carteret.
“I went here for secondary schools, so I sort of know my way around, but it’s really good to see the school’s been built up into a nicer way,” said Evie Le Prevost.
She continued: “It’s a lot more grown up because of the way we’re studying. So the layouts different in a slight way, but it’s definitely got a feel for ‘your going on to something bigger’, and you’re in a much more grown up setting than you are in secondary.”
Joe Ward added: “It’s great, you know, I went there as a student as well, and just last year, and already it feels like a new building and all the new spaces. It definitely feels like it’s become larger than before.
“I feel like I’ve been treated as more grown up, and given a bit more independence. It’s like a work environment instead of a school environment.”
Joe is currently studying A-Levels at the Sixth Form Centre, with hopes of higher education and a spot on Lincoln’s Archaeology course.
Meanwhile Evie is studying on the International Baccalaureate, and aims to continue her education, and progress onto Primary Education courses at University.
Both students felt that the Sixth Form Centre was well placed to deliver on their goals:
Miss Le Prevost said: “For sure, because I’ve got such a broad range that I’ve got so many teachers, so I’ve got lots of different inputs on why I can do things, and how it’s going to help me progress into what I need to do next.”
Whilst Mr Ward agreed: “Yeah, absolutely. I think the facilities and teachers here are great, and they’re really friendly, and it’s the kind of environment I can thrive in.”