Springbank Secondary upgrade designs revealed while Wirreanda Secondary rebuild opens

It was recommended to close – but instead Springbank College will get a $10m upgrade. And another Adelaide high school’s refurbishment is finished.

The long-awaited $10m upgrade to Springbank Secondary College is moving ahead with architectural designs published and the first siteworks out for tender.

At the same time, the $11.5m redevelopment at Wirreanda Secondary School has been officially opened.

The projects are part of the $1.4bn investment in schools in South Australia.

Springbank principal Wendy House said the school community was excited to see what the refurbishment would look like.

Funds were first announced in 2017 but were frozen pending a review of whether the school would stay open.

“We’re refurbishing the main original building, which was constructed in 1965,” Ms House said.

Artist impression of the ground floor of the northern building at Springbank Secondary College, designed by Thomson Rossi Architects.

“They’ll basically be gutted and transformed into fantastic 21st century learning spaces.”

The courtyard will be upgraded with a covered learning area and the sports stadium will have toilets and changerooms modernised.

Despite a vigorous campaign by parents, a review last year recommended Springbank should close because of low enrolments, which were at 171 last year, the lowest at a metropolitan high school.

However, Education Minister John Gardner overruled the finding and made the school zone overlap with Unley High and be unzoned for special interest enrolments.

Ms House said enrolments would increase next year with the “largest cohort of year 8s we’ve had for many years” plus two classes of year 7s as that level moves into secondary schools across the state.

Artist impression of the covered learning area at Springbank Secondary College, Pasadena, designed by Thomson Rossi Architects.

Wirreanda, which has been one of three high schools trialling year 7s, has begun using its new facilities, which include a new performing arts centre, secondary special class, upgraded sports courts and refurbished technical studies, food technology and art rooms.

“Our students and staff absolutely love the new learning spaces,” Wirreanda principal Caroline Fishpool said.

Wirreanda Secondary School. Inside the new performing arts centre, part of the $11.5 million redevelopment designed by Wiltshire and Swain and built by FDC Construction and Fitout. Picture supplied.

Mr Gardner said the year 7 building works program was on track for the start of 2022.

This included preparing to accommodate “students of every ability”.

“The feedback I’ve received from the school community about the year 7 pilot at Wirreanda Secondary School has been overwhelmingly positive and gives us confidence our year 7s are ready for subject specialist teachers and specialist learning environments in our high schools,” he said.

New buildings and landscaping, part of the $11.5 million redevelopment at Wirreanda Secondary School, designed by Wiltshire and Swain and built by FDC Construction and Fitout.

Refurbished sports courts at Wirreanda Secondary School, part of the $11.5 million redevelopment designed by Wiltshire and Swain and built by FDC Construction and Fitout.

At Springbank, tenders are out for demolition works due to start after year 12 exams in November.

The refurbishment is scheduled to be complete by late 2022.

Separately, the school aims to upgrade the Tower Arts Centre, which is used by community groups as well as students.

The school is also looking forward to completion of landscaping in front of the school with a new pedestrian area created by the realignment of the Daws Rd and Goodwood Rd intersection.