It looks pretty, but can St Sampson’s High and Le Murier make enough of an impression to prove wrong their detractors? (0538708)
THE construction of modern, purpose-built secondary schools has been a long time coming and expectations are running high.
September will see the opening of St Sampson’s High and Le Murier special needs school – the first phase in an development plan aimed at giving Guernsey’s secondary education a massive overhaul. But the schools will have to more than prove their worth, for their construction has not been without controversy.
There have been a few well documented concerns since the project was given the go-ahead in February 2005.
The schools’ location next to a prison raised a few eyebrows, as did the potential impact of traffic in the area, the details of which are still to be finalised by Environment.
The Fallagate row over the new hospital block has also seen trust in States building projects plunge to a new low.
But the schools are due to open in time for the next academic year and Education is certain the £37m. project is on track.
The Guernsey Press was given an exclusive tour of the site and the progress made since construction began in July 2006 is impressive, certainly a good indication that the two schools will be opening up their doors in time for September.
How the two schools occupy the one site has been integral to their design. They are two separate structures with separate entrances, linked by a hub of shared facilities, including a 25-metre indoor pool, sports hall, gym and dance studio, climbing wall and main library.
Splashes of colour around the building’s interior are designed to inspire. (0538719)
St Sampson’s High, which has the capacity for 720 pupils, is on two storeys and running through it like a main artery is a wide corridor. It is referred to as the main street by Education’s planning manager Geraint Ap Sion, who acted as our guide.
Dotted along the main street will be lockers and spaces for work and socialising.
There will also be staff bases along it where teachers can work away from the classroom. Windows will allow them to keep an eye on the main street – a deliberate, passive surveillance feature.
Branching off the corridor are large pavilions, each containing a different department. The interior of each block has been decorated with a different colour to help people navigate their way round.
The schools are full of colour – St Sampson’s High has a blue curved frontage and a big, yellow, cylindrical structure for its entrance. Although most interior walls are white, slabs of turquoise, pink, green and other bright colours run right through it, and Le Murier is decorated with touches of burnt orange. There is certainly no confusing it for an office block.
‘It’s a school, it’s going to be full of children, so it needs to be bright – it’s for them to enjoy,’ said Mr Ap Sion, who has been responsible for a lot of the colour choices.
‘I’ve been living this project for two years – every little detail and decision. I’m just waiting now for the kids to see it. You have this idea in your head of how it will be used, but you don’t really know until they arrive.’
Natural light and ventilation were high up on Education’s design brief because research has shown they help pupils work better.
To that end, large areas of glazing have been installed, with skylights, high ceilings and flooring that attracts cool air before releasing it through vents.
One of the most impressive features will be the use of ETFE roofing to cover a large break-out area behind the main entrance. That is the same bubble-like textile membrane used for the Eden Project and it will allow light to pour in.
Facilities such as the pool will be shared between the schools and will also be available for community use, along with two outdoor full size football pitches, netball courts, and an all-weather pitch.
With food technology now on the curriculum and growing in popularity, a fully equipped, dedicated unit is a must. (0538709)
Design and technology, food technology and ICT have all been designated large, modern classrooms. Wi-fi will be available throughout the schools and in terms of arts facilities, there will be a recording studio and the main hall will be equipped to use as a performance space or to be partitioned off to create a drama studio.
‘This is a newer, up-to-date facility, but does not do the same job as the Princess Royal Centre for the Performing Arts, which is for advanced use. Pupils can come here and learn the basics before moving on to the sixth-form centre or College of Further Education,’ said Mr ap Sion.
Le Murier, which will have capacity for 130 pupils, will be equipped with a sensory room, hydrotherapy pools, complex needs classrooms and a sensory garden that can double as a performance space, as well as its own dining room, hall and satellite library.
It is hoped power can be fully installed by the end of this month and equipment, which will largely come from St Sampson’s and St Peter Port Secondary schools and Oakvale, will be moved in at the end of the month.
Le Murier looks set to meet its completion deadline, meaning it will be open for its first intake of students in September. (0538712)
Apart from a few teething problems, Mr ap Sion said the project had gone relatively smoothly and he hoped people would like the new schools.
‘We were showing some teachers around and when we asked them to fill out a report, one teacher just wrote ‘wow’ – and hopefully that’s the reaction we’ll get from everyone.
‘What the kids think will be the ultimate test.’
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