St Leonards Primary School Glenelg North needs extra space for students after verging on closure five years ago

JUST a few years ago, this primary school was struggling to entice students and on the verge of closure – now it needs a new classroom due to its healthy enrolment. So what happened?

St Leonards Primary School Principal Dave Henty-Smith with some of the school’s senior students. Picture: Emma Brasier

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JUST a few years ago, this primary school was struggling to entice students and on the verge of closure – now it needs a new classroom due to its healthy enrolment. So what happened?

Reporter Eleanor Miller paid a visit to find out how the school in Adelaide’s west has turned its fortune around.

The road to a healthy enrolment

FIVE or six years ago St Leonards Primary School was struggling for student numbers and verging on closure – now the campus is likely to build an extra classroom.

The Glenelg North school is among eight state primary schools in the Holdfast Bay and Marion Council areas experiencing increased enrolments since 2010, and it’s still growing.

Principal Dave Henty-Smith attributes the rise in enrolments partly to a change in the area’s demographics and partly to demand resulting from a strong school community.

“It was earmarked for closure five or six years ago – we were down to 190 kids and there were questions about whether it was viable to keep it open,” Mr Henty-Smith.

There are 363 students on the school’s books this year and he is expecting about 400 next year – a number that would require building an extra classroom.

Mr Henty-Smith says Glenelg North and Novar Gardens, which two years ago formed a new school zone, have had an increase in young families.

“A lot of properties (around Glenelg) were held for a long time and there’s been a lot of subdivision right around the area,” he says.

The school gets “heaps” of inquiries from families living outside their zone but is unable to accept them, he said.

“We have space for one or two more buildings. I would hate to get more than that – it’s a small community school.”

Mr Henty-Smith says a special feature of St Leonards is its active parent body – parents volunteer in each classroom, administer class Facebook pages and help as needed with some grounds maintenance.

According to the My Schools website other nearby primary schools to have recorded dozens of extra enrolments between 2010 and 2015 include Brighton Primary, Clovelly Park Primary, Darlington Primary, Edwardstown Primary and Warradale Primary.

Education Department executive director for infrastructure Ross Treadwell said the department was pleased with the increases in enrolments.

“It’s an indication of growing community confidence in public education.”

He said enrolment numbers were affected by a number of “unforeseeable factors” including popularity, immigration and trends within the short term rental and private real estate market.

“Although this has resulted in a few schools being at or near capacity, departmental data indicates that there is currently no need for any additional primary schools in the Holdfast Bay/ Marion council areas,” Mr Treadwell said.