DETAILED plans for a sixth-form centre at the Grammar School and to redevelop the College of Further Education on the site of St Peter Port School are progressing. The States agreed to both projects at its February meeting and design teams are working to take the plans to the next level.

A detailed planning application has been submitted to the Environment Department for the sixth-form centre together with one for permission in principle to develop the St Peter Port School site.

‘Both these projects are essential to help us improve access to post-16 education for all our students,’ said Education minister Martin Ozanne.

‘Everybody knows that the Grammar School is bursting at the seams.

The new centre will provide specialist classrooms for popular subjects such as media studies, psychology and business studies and will give the students much-needed private study and social areas.’

Building work is due to start this summer, with sixth-formers moving into the new centre at the beginning of the autumn term next year.

The College of Further Education’s improved facilities at the St Peter Port site are in the early design stages, with proposals submitted for new buildings and a new interior layout of the college hall and performing arts centre. It currently operates from three different sites in outdated buildings.

‘It is essential that we update the facilities available to those students choosing to take a more vocational route with their studies,’ said Deputy Ozanne.

‘We are continually striving to improve the range and level of courses being offered at the college, but to do that we need to improve the facilities.

Many of our courses are being taught in a Portakabin city around the back of the buildings at Les Coutanchez and that is just not good enough – students deserve better.’

Construction of phase A of the redevelopment involving the college hall and performing arts centre is due to start early next year, being operational by September 2006.