It has become necessary to make a further change to the published term times for the current academic year (2024-25) for primary schools only. This change is to facilitate our primary schools to prepare for the forthcoming on-island training from Hampshire Local Authority and to be informed of the decision taken by the Portfolio Advisory Board in regard to the Primary School Reorganisation. This will result in all three primary schools being closed on Tuesday, 18 March 2025. Our secondary school, Prince Andrew School, will open as normal.
On the same day, 18 March 2025, we will host a parents/guardian’s evening at 19:00 in the Main Hall at Prince Andrew School. The primary purpose of this meeting is to inform parents and guardians of the decision taken by the Portfolio Advisory Board in respect of the Primary School Reorganisation and, just as importantly, next steps.
Schools will provide a transport slip with a letter being sent home, however, the respective school secretaries can also be contacted via:
The Highways Authority has granted approval for the closure of Napoleon Street on Tuesday, 18 March, and Wednesday, 19 March 2025, from 09:00 to 15:30. This closure is essential to facilitate slurry works, which will improve the surface quality of the road.
Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the duration of the closure. Roadside pavements will remain accessible, and on-site personnel will be readily available to guide pedestrians safely through the work area.
Side Path Road will remain open for vehicular traffic, specifically cars. Vehicles will be diverted via Nosegay Lane or near the Guide Hall at the brow, adhering to the 2-ton weight restriction in place. Trucks and buses will be required to divert at Constitution Road to access Jamestown. We encourage drivers of larger vehicles to plan their routes accordingly to minimise disruption.
The Road Section extends its sincere thanks to all residents and road users for their continued support and cooperation during these necessary works.
The public are advised that the ENRP Veterinary Clinic which are held at Scotland between 8:30 to 10:00 will be closed on Tuesday, 18 March and Wednesday, 19 March 2025.
Animal owners are advised that in the event of an emergency, please call 24724.
ENRP apologises for any inconvenience that this may cause. The public are thanked in advance for their understanding and cooperation.
St Helena celebrated Commonwealth Day 2025 yesterday with assemblies at Prince Andrew School (PAS) and the three island primary schools, as well as a flag raising ceremony held at Plantation House. This year’s theme, ‘Together We Thrive’, highlights the shared values of Commonwealth nations, as articulated in the Commonwealth Charter. Observed annually on the second Monday of March, Commonwealth Day unites member countries in celebration.
To open the ceremony at Plantation House, the Speaker of the House and St Helena Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Branch President, Cyril Gunnell, delivered a welcoming speech. The speech highlighted the importance of shared values, particularly in building a future for and with young people, referencing the Commonwealth Youth Programme and the re-establishment of St Helena’s Youth Parliament. Speaker Gunnell called for continued support for youth initiatives and suggested incorporating national songs into Legislative Council proceedings.
HE Governor Nigel Phillips CBE read the message from Head of the Commonwealth, His Majesty King Charles III. Chief Minister, Hon Julie Thomas MLC, read a message from the Right Honourable Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations, and Zac Bargo, Youth Parliament Chair, read the Commonwealth Affirmation.
Shortly after, Speaker Gunnell raised the Commonwealth Flag as part of the ‘Fly a Flag for the Commonwealth’ initiative. This initiative aims to inspire participants to join with others throughout the Commonwealth, a family of 56 member states, which has a combined population of 2.7 billion, with more than 60% aged 29 or under, representing around a third of the world’s Commonwealth’s population.
Speaker Gunnell, at the raising of the flag, commented:
“As we raise the Commonwealth flag today, let us remind ourselves of the core principles that unite us: respect for diversity, commitment to democracy, and dedication to human rights. These ideals serve as a guiding light, encouraging us to embrace our differences while recognising the common threads that connect us all.”
To commemorate the 76th anniversary of the Commonwealth of Nations and to discuss its past accomplishments and ongoing aspirations, guest speakers Mrs Sheena Benjamin of the St Helena National Trust and Mrs Gerarda Hubbard of St Helena’s Active Participation in Enterprise (SHAPE) were invited to speak at the ceremony.
Councillor Gillian Brooks, Chair of the Commonwealth Day Working Group, concluded the ceremony with thanks to HE the Governor, speakers, attendees, Plantation House staff, and the Working Group, marking the end of the Commonwealth Day 2025 event.
Commonwealth Day assemblies were also held at the island primary schools. They were attended by Elected Members of the Legislative Council who read His Majesty the King’s Commonwealth Day message.
Our St Helena Government UK Representative, Mrs Kedell Worboys, had also been invited to attend several engagements to commemorate Commonwealth Day in the UK.
In the morning, Mrs Worboys attended the Commonwealth 76th Anniversary Flag Raising ceremony in Parliament. Additionally, she laid a wreath on behalf of the Government and people of St Helena at a ceremony at the Commonwealth Memorial Gates commemorating Victory over Japan (VJ) Day and the end of the Second World War. In the afternoon, Mrs Worboys, with UK representatives from The Falkland Islands and Tristan da Cunha, attended the Commonwealth Observance at Westminster Abbey.
Photos
HE Governor Phillips reading the message from Head of the Commonwealth, His Majesty King Charles III
Hon Chief Minister Julie Thomas reading the message from the Rt Hon Patricia Scotland KC, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth of Nations
Zac Bargo, Youth Parliament Chair, reading the Commonwealth Affirmation
Speaker Cyril Gunnell raising the flag
Guest speaker, Sheena Benjamin, of the St Helena National Trust
Guest speaker, Gerarda Hubbard, of SHAPE
The Commonwealth Day Working Group
UK representatives Richard Hyslop (Falkland Islands), Kedell Worboys (St Helena) and Chris Carnegy (Tristan da Cunha)
The Programme Management Office would like to advise the public that the Middle Landing Steps will be closed to the public for a period of 6 weeks, commencing Wednesday, 12 March 2025.
The lower step require further works to be carried out under the defects period of the original contract.
The Middle Landing Steps will be completely closed for the first week whilst the contractor excavates the lower step. Once excavation works are completed the steps will be partially opened. Relevant signage will be put in place.
The Middle Landing Steps will be reopened to the public upon completion of all works.
The public are thanked in advance for their cooperation and understanding during this time.
Note to Editors:
The project was approved for funding under the UK funded Economic Development Investment Programme (EDIP) – Micro Project, in partnership with the FCDO.
Please be advised of upcoming road closures and works scheduled for Wednesday, 12 March 2025.
Nose Gay Lane Closure
Nose Gay Lane will be closed to all vehicular traffic from 09:00 to 15:00 on Wednesday, 12 March. This closure is required for the Road Section to carry out necessary slurry works, which will improve the road’s surface quality. Whilst this work is ongoing, Connect St Helena will be raising a sewage manhole cover near the Standard to ensure proper infrastructure maintenance.
Pedestrian access will be maintained throughout the closure. Designated areas will be established, and on-site personnel will be available to guide pedestrians safely.
Napoleon Street Milling Works
Milling works will begin on Napoleon Street at 13:00 on Wednesday, 12 March. To facilitate the safe and efficient completion of these works, we ask that all drivers refrain from parking on the pavement during this time. This will ensure unobstructed access for the required machinery and personnel.
The Road Section extends its sincere thanks for your continued support and cooperation during these necessary works.
The Health and Social Care Portfolio would like to advise the public that they are currently experiencing a significant increase of demand on dental services, particularly during the emergency dental slots each morning. Due to the high demand for emergency dental services we can only see a limited amount of patients during the 1 ½ hour emergency timeframe.
The portfolio would like to remind the public that these slots are specifically for emergencies which include:
Trauma, post-extraction bleeding, facial swelling
Dental infection and dental or facial pain not controlled by regular medication (Paracetamol /Ibuprofen) within 48 hours.
Routine concerns, such as lost fillings, without pain should be booked as a regular appointment.
If you are experiencing facial swelling, or are in severe pain outside of normal dental hours please attend the Emergency Department.
The public are also reminded about the impact that missed appointments cause on our service. In February alone over 10% of all dental appointments were missed. This causes considerable disruptions for other patients waiting to be seen. Cancelling in advance means we can offer that appointment to someone who may be waiting.
The Portfolio also wishes to remind the public that it operates a #zerotolerance programme for aggression against any of our staff. Whilst we understand that it may be frustrating waiting for any treatment, we will not tolerate any acts of aggression or violence against any staff. The Portfolio works closely with Royal St Helena Police Service to ensure that all such incidents are reported and treated seriously.
Minister Henry commented
“We are all well aware of the limited recourses we have, especially within Health and Social Care and as a community we all need to do our bit to ensure we maximise their benefits. Having such a high missed appointments rate in the face of also having a long waiting list is indeed counterproductive for us all. It is our individual responsibility to make a simple call to cancel an appointment, without doing so you directly contribute to the waiting time of others. Additionally, staff work tirelessly to support our community, and should not face any abuse from the patients they are trying to help.”
Representatives from key agencies including Fire and Rescue Service, Emergency Planning, Immigration, Communications Hub, Royal St Helena Police, St Helena Airport, Governor’s Office, Health and Social Care, Port Control, Environment, Natural Resources and Planning, Education, and Solomon and Company have recently completed a comprehensive Multi-Agency Gold Incident Command (MAGIC) training programme, designed to enhance their ability to effectively manage and respond to major incidents.
The training, offered by the International Police Assistance Service (IPAS) and funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) through the Integrated Security Fund’s (ISF) Justice Programme, focused on developing delegates’ confidence, understanding, and ability to perform the critical role of Gold Commander. Three trainers, Assistant Chief Constable Mark Williams and UK College of Policing Multi-agency Gold Incident Command Course (MAGIC) delivery team, Tony Brown and Graham Ellis delivered the training on-island.
Trainers Tony Brown and Graham Ellis of the MAGIC delivery team commented:
“It was a great privilege to be invited to St Helena to deliver a MAGIC Course, and to meet with the island’s senior politicians and leaders at an Executive Briefing session.”
The four-day course saw 27 strategic leaders from St Helena’s emergency and public services come together to be trained in effective strategic management of Major Incident situations, with a specific focus on close multi-agency working. This is the same course undertaken by all ‘Category 1 Agency’ strategic leaders in the UK.”
“The level of engagement, professionalism and enthusiasm demonstrated by all of the course delegates was something that they should all be extremely proud of, and made delivery of the course and the multi-agency exercise an extremely rewarding experience for everyone involved.”
“The course allowed for in-depth discussions around numerous challenges that may present during real-life emergency situations, and again the level of mature engagement and discussion meant that challenges and solutions were openly discussed with consensus being achieved.”
“The St Helena Government can be proud of the effort and dedication demonstrated by all of the delegates, and assured that the course was able to deliver improvements in the collective engagement of all agencies required to prepare for, respond to and recover from major emergencies.”
The MAGIC training programme aimed to equip participants with the skills necessary to:
Define the roles and responsibilities of different agencies during a major incident.
Take strategic ‘Gold’ command of a major incident.
Plan, implement, and review civil contingency plans and multi-agency communication strategies.
Understand the legal framework of a civil emergency.
Through interactive exercises, scenario-based simulations, and expert instruction, delegates gained valuable insights into the complexities of multi-agency coordination and strategic decision-making in high-pressure situations.
Mark Williams, Head of UK National Police Coordination Centre and National Police Chiefs’ Council lead for Civil Contingencies said:
“This course was a fantastic opportunity to work with the Governor, Ministers, and other public sector leaders in St Helena. Being here in person with colleagues from the College of Policing, allowed me to better understand the unique challenges the island has. My colleagues and I were able to share our collective experience and lessons learned from the response to major incidents in the United Kingdom. I am certain that the delegates got a huge amount of learning from it and it was fantastic to see the enthusiasm, professionalism and commitment every one of them showed over the week.”
Chief Secretary, Susan O’Bey, remarked:
“The MAGIC course is very relevant to St Helena where multi-agency collaboration in a major incident is hugely important, particularly given our geographical isolation. The course is designed to support those who are called on to respond to major incidents and help participants to build confidence, and strengthen individual capacity to carry out strategic command roles.”
“The training, which was delivered over four days, was well received. Representatives attended from all of the emergency services, and other key services, including the Airport and Solomon’s and Co, and all participants found it extremely beneficial. Courses such as these are vital in shaping and delivering our response to emergencies, and the lessons learned from this training will equip senior leaders to better understand each other’s operating environments, and enable them to operate more effectively in situations requiring a multi-agency response.”
“I would like to take this opportunity to thank the trainers; Tony, Graham and Mark, for their excellent delivery, as well as the FCDO for funding the course.”
Photos
Graham Ellis delivering the training to the delegates.
SSHA Portfolio Director, Alex Mitham, receives his certificate for completing the MAGIC training.
Delegates from various key agencies on island.
Deputy Emergency Planning Manager, Anel O’Bey, presents the delivery team, Graham Ellis (far left), Tony Brown and Mark Williams with a ‘thank you’ gift.
On Friday, 28 February 2025, students, parents, and distinguished guests gathered in the Prince Andrew School (PAS) Hall for the annual Certificate and Awards Ceremony. This special event honoured the hard work and achievements of students.
The ceremony commenced with a warm welcome from His Excellency, Governor Nigel Phillips, who addressed the audience before presenting the certificates.
The first round of awards recognised former Year 10, 11, 12, and 13 students, who received their certificates for a range of qualifications, including the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE), Vocationally Related Qualifications (VRQ) , Advanced Subsidiary (AS-Level), and Advanced Level (A-Level).
Following this, individual awards were presented to students who excelled in various disciplines, celebrating outstanding achievements across multiple areas.
Award
Awardee
Jean Beadon Art Award
Blake O’Connor
Governor’s Award for academic excellence and achievement at Key Stage 3
Nate Joshua and Sadie Herne
PTA Student of the Year Award for the top performing student in Year 11 and Year 13
Blane Bennett and Vivienne Ponsford
SURE Award for the top performing male and female in Year 11
Merstine Chiseya and Blane Bennett
Jeanette Williams Mathematics Achievement Award for the highest Mathematics score in Year 11 and Year 13
Blane Bennett and Jacob Williams
English Achievement Award for the highest English score in Year 11 and Year 13
Erik Robbertse and Vivienne Ponsford
Eliza Mary Lloyd Trust Agriculture Award for commitment to agriculture
Callum Mittens
Bishop Houghton Award for pastoral care and support of the community
William Scott
Joy George Award for outstanding effort, progress and achievement at the end of Key Stage 3
Leah Oyewo
The ceremony concluded with a vote of thanks from Student President, Bobbi Clingham and Vice Student President, Raylisha Piek, with closing remarks delivered by Chief Minister, Julie Thomas.
Head Teacher for PAS, Phil Toal, commented:
“It is an immense privilege to celebrate the achievements of our students at Prince Andrew School’s Annual Certificate & Awards Presentation. Today, we recognise the dedication, resilience, and hard work of our students, as well as the unwavering support of our staff, parents, and the wider school community.
Each award and certificate represents a journey of commitment, perseverance, and ambition. Our students have demonstrated not only academic excellence but also determination in vocational and technical studies, embodying the spirit of lifelong learning and personal growth.
I extend my heartfelt congratulations to every awardee, particularly those who have excelled in their respective fields. Their success is a testament to the quality of education we strive for at Prince Andrew School. I also want to express my gratitude to our dedicated teachers and support staff, who continue to inspire and guide our students toward achieving their goals.
Special thanks to His Excellency, the Governor, our Chief Minister, distinguished guests, parents, and the community for joining us in celebrating these achievements. Your support plays a crucial role in shaping the future of our young people.
As we look ahead, we remain committed to fostering an environment where every student is empowered to reach their full potential. Today’s achievements are just the beginning of many successes to come”
Photos
Year 10 recipients of qualification certificates.
Erik Robbertse receiving the English Achievement Award
Year 11 2023-24 recipients of qualification certificates
The Central Support Service invites bids for the vinyl record collection which was the property of the former ‘Radio St Helena’.
The collection is offered for sale on an ‘as is’ basis as one lot of approximately 11,000 vinyl records comprising a mix of country, pop, rock, classical, children’s, musicals, jazz, instrumental and sacred music genres and styles, at 45, 33 and a few 78 rpm speeds. Please note that the condition of the records varies, and some wear should be expected due to age and previous use.
Full details of the collection can be provided by contacting Custodian of Records, Karen Henry, at the Castle on telephone number 22470 or via email at karen.henry@sainthelena.gov.sh.
All tenders must be submitted in a plain sealed envelope marked ‘Tender Reference Vinyl Record Collection’ and placed in the Tender Box, in the Castle Reception, by no later than 15:30 on Friday, 21 March 2025. The Central Support Service is not obliged to accept any offers that may be received.
