The Education, Skills and Employment (ESE) Portfolio has entered the first phase of its transition to the Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 model for primary schools, with the start of the new school term this week. This project is UK-funded through the Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP).
To protect the health, safety, and wellbeing of students and staff, and to minimise disruption to teaching and learning during ongoing school renovations, Key Stage 1 learners will attend St Paul’s Primary School and Key Stage 2 learners will attend Pilling Primary School until works on their respective schools are completed.
In addition to the new locations, the bus transportation system has brought significant changes and challenges. The St Helena Secondary School first experienced the impact of the new routes and schedules when its term began on 7 January, and the primary schools have since followed this week.
Special thanks are also extended to Colin’s Garage, the school bus contractor, for their commitment and dedication throughout this complex transition. Collecting students and staff from across all districts, ensuring arrival at Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, and the Secondary School by 09:00, and returning students home within an hour is no small task. While some routes are still experiencing delays and difficulties, Colin’s Garage is working tirelessly to resolve these issues, and many parents and students have already reported improvements in their journeys.
As part of this transition, ESE will also begin trialling bus route and transfer-point supervisors, starting with primary school students. These trials will run alongside a comprehensive review of the island’s school transportation system over the coming months. Feedback from parents, staff, and students will be invaluable in refining and strengthening transport arrangements ahead of the official launch of the Key Stage 1 School in September. Please contact School Reorganisation and Education Review Programme Manager, Nichole Spence at nichole.spence@sainthelena.edu.sh.
ESE extends its sincere gratitude to our students, parents, and staff for their steadfast patience and support during this transition. While we recognise that these changes have caused disruption for some, we are deeply grateful for the community’s continued co-operation as we fine-tune our systems. We sincerely apologise to those who faced difficulties during the opening days of the term; however, as these improvements progress, we are confident that the most significant challenges are now behind us. Ultimately, we believe these refinements represent a vital step forward in ensuring student safety and wellbeing, providing families with greater peace of mind on every journey to and from school.
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