Vale a prime case for a single school

Wednesday 1st October 2008, 11:30AM BST.

COMBINING infants’ and junior schools offers more flexibility in terms of staffing and curriculum, according to deputy Education minister Allister Langlois.

The department’s report on the primary sector, which was released last week, not only recommended St Sampson’s Infants be closed, but suggested combining Vale Infants and Junior to create a primary school.

Deputy Langlois said it had been primary education policy since the 1980s to try to ensure youngsters did not have to make two school moves – from infants to juniors at seven and then into secondary at 11.

Combining schools also allowed greater opportunities for staff and children, he said. St Martin’s was the first to do it in the early 1980s, followed by Vauvert in the 1990s and then more recently Amherst and Hautes Capelles.