BUILDING work has begun on the new secondary schools in St Sampson’s. The £45m. project to build a mainstream secondary called St Sampson’s High School and a co-located special secondary, Le Murier, will take two years to complete.

Education minister Martin Ozanne was on site yesterday to drive the first pile into the ground

He was pleased that work was under way.

‘It’s been a long time in gestation but the Education board and myself are delighted that work has now begun,’ he said.

The development at the

former Les Nicolles Vinery site includes a six-lane swimming pool, all-weather sports pitches, play areas, car parking, a new access road and associated community facilities.

‘We expect to be able to have use of the majority of the development by September 2008.

‘There are, however, contingencies in place in the unlikely event of a delay.’

The minister said work would concentrate on finishing the high school first, with the completion of the special needs one expected by the end of 2008.

Erection of the former, which will cater for 720 students, will represent the first stage of the reorganisation of secondary education from four schools to three, allowing the closure of St Peter Port School.

St Sampson’s School will be used by the Education Department while St Peter Port School will be used by the College of Further Education.

‘That will overcome the gross overcrowding at the College of Further Education and provide the college with the necessary facilities to ensure that we are able to continue to provide the kinds of courses that people require.’

St Sampson’s High School head teacher-designate Hazel Tetlaw was pleased that the project had started.

‘It’s tremendously exciting,’ she said.

‘It’s a new era for the future children in the north of the island. Being here to see things happen makes it all the more real.’

Miss Tetlaw said that she was particularly looking forward to working alongside the other school, a sentiment that was echoed by Le Murier’s new head teacher-designate Alan Brown.

‘It gives us the chance to combine the strengths that both schools possess,’ he said.

The completion of Le Murier will continue the reorganisation of special education following the opening of Le Rondin School and will allow the existing Oakvale building to be used as a centre for pupils with behavioural, emotional and social difficulties.