Marymount College demolition to make way for $16.7m McAuley Community School
WORK on a $16.7 million Catholic “super school” that merges two of Adelaide’s most prestigious colleges in the southern sububs, is on target for a December start.
- New Catholic primary school to be built in Hove by 2020
- Sacred Heart and Marymount reveal $15 million merger designs
WORK on a new Catholic school in Hove could start as early as December if a new $16.7 million development gets the green light.
Holdfast Bay Council is currently assessing an application to replace Marymount College in Hove with the McAuley Community School, due to open for the start of 2020.
Marymount College has merged with Sacred Heart College, forming a coeducational school as part of a major restructure of the Catholic system in the southwest suburbs.
Catholic Education SA assistant director Monica Conway confirmed demolition work on the site was planned to start before the end of this year, with most of the construction phase happening throughout 2019.
Ms Conway said the new school would encourage innovative learning experiences “that are less possible in traditional educational settings”.
“There will be four learning neighbourhoods for students … (and) programs and initiatives such as ‘little scientists’, digital technologies, robotics, coding and environmental sciences,” she said.
The learning neighbourhoods would include spaces for children to create and solve problems with tools and technology, sensory spaces for quiet learning, computers, books and presentation areas, plus virtual reality equipment.
When McAuley opens, students from St Teresa’s School in Brighton will be transferred to the new space.
According to the designs before Holdfast Bay Council, the new school would cater for 530 students – double St Teresa’s current enrolments – and feature new classrooms, an early learning centre, school oval, nature play area, outdoor classrooms and new administration space.
The early learning centre would cater for an additional 90 children aged 3-5.
Some of the existing Marymount facilities at the site would be retained, including the music and arts space near Colton Ave, and the tennis courts off King George Ave.
Some parking spots and the neighbouring Holdfast Bay Community Centre would remain untouched too.
Holdfast Bay councillor Rosemary Clancy said the school would provide crucial space for local children to play.
“Young people have a very limited playground area at St Teresa’s, so it’s good to see the students will have plenty of area to run around and exercise,” Cr Clancy said.
St Teresa’s principal Peter Mercer said come 2020, families would say a bittersweet farewell to the current site.
“We’ve spent 103 years on this site so it’s a little bit sad, but the opportunities this new facility will bring are fantastic,” Mr Mercer said.
