Mr Speaker,
Today, I rise to update this House and the listening public on our Education Reform efforts, with the focus on Lyceum Preschool and our first two Parish Primary Schools.
Before diving into the details, I would like to give a recap of the plan to create parish primary schools, complete with a preschool on site.
Mr Speaker,
We stand by our belief that parish primary schools are a vehicle for creating hubs in each parish, which mobilize the strengths and assets of our communities to support our schools and students to achieve the best possible learning and life outcomes.
Mr Speaker,
We have introduced parish primary schools in Hamilton Parish at the Francis Patton Site and Warwick Parish at the Purvis Site. We celebrated their opening in September 2023 when they received their first cohorts of Year 7 students.
While the opening of these schools in September 2023 was a significant milestone in the Education Reform journey, it was by no means the beginning or the end of establishing parish primary schools.
School transformation teams made of staff and community members, education officers from the Department of Education, and members of each school- community, continue to work tirelessly to bring several features of these schools to life.
Mr Speaker,
When we embarked on reforming our education system, I stated that this would not be a “lights off one day and lights on the next day” situation. The transformation of each school will take several years.
We introduced Year 7 students into the first parish primary schools in September 2023 and will soon introduce Year 8 students in September 2024. We are also taking a multi-year approach to designing new learning experiences for all students.
While some of the new features of parish primary schools have been implemented, others will be introduced over the next 12-24 months as some are dependent on improvements to their physical environments, staffing changes or the securing of new partnerships.
Mr Speaker,
It would be remiss of me not to acknowledge that the journey for these two parish primary schools, and Lyceum Preschool, have not been without challenges. The schools have responded to these challenges, with contingencies put in place to ensure the continuity of student learning as the top priority.
The school-communities at Purvis and Francis Patton and Lyceum have never wavered from keeping their learners at the centre of every decision.
Mr Speaker,
After 8 months away, Lyceum Preschool was welcomed back to the Francis Patton site this last week. The preschool had a rewarding time while co-located at the Aquarium, as they were graciously hosted by our partners at the Bermuda Zoological Society, while construction took place on the Francis Patton site.
While part of a contingency plan, being co-located at the Aquarium allowed Lyceum’s preschool administrator and teachers to form even stronger relationships with our community partners. This saw them collaboratively practicing and implementing the teaching and learning approaches that the Bermudian public school system is adopting through Education Reform. Ultimately, these changes will result in a sustainable positive impact on student learning for all of our students.
Mr Speaker,
Lyceum Preschool has returned to a refurbished building, special tailored for early childhood learning, which is part of a wider construction programme at the school.
In the coming month, new classrooms adjoining the preschool will be completed, allowing the space to hold two preschool classes, two Year 1 classes, and two Year 2 classrooms.
Plans are in place to continue work at the school to provide additional classroom spaces as Francis Patton grows over time to have two classes of students at each year level from preschool through to Year 8.
Mr Speaker,
Purvis Parish School also has a capital works programme that is currently being executed. A range of adaptations have been made to existing classrooms to allow for greater teacher collaboration across the school.
The work, when complete, will provide eight new classroom spaces to house Year 6, 7 and 8 students. There are further plans in place to develop what the school is calling the Cedar Cafe, which will provide a cafe style experience for students to develop their entrepreneurial skills, as well as spaces for the community to access wraparound services.
Mr Speaker,
While I have shared with you the progress of Lyceum Preschool and our Purvis and Francis Patton Parish Schools, I would like to inform you of the progress of the next two parish primary schools. One is in Smiths Parish at the Harrington Sound Primary School Site, and the other is in Devonshire Parish at the Elliot Primary School Site.
Mr Speaker,
These schools have brought school transformation teams into being to begin the process of developing school blueprints for their future desired state and design. These two schools are able to draw upon the learning from our first two parish primary schools as they undertake their transformation journey toward opening in September 2025.
I look forward to providing you with future progress updates as the Education Reform work at these and other schools at a later stage.
Thank you, Mr Speaker.