Toowoomba prep students 2025: City schools welcome hundreds of new pupils
School’s in for 2025, and some of Toowoomba’s tiniest students have revealed what they’d like to be when they grow up as they head to class for the first time this week. Our mega-gallery here:
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Toowoomba’s suburban streets have been filled with tiny humans with giant backpacks this week, as hundreds of kids start their school journeys.
The city’s public schools and a number of private colleges kicked off their years, which included a new cohort of prep students eager to learn.
Here’s a snapshot of 2025’s newest students.
You can find our gallery of prep students at the bottom of the article:
Harristown State School
Twins aren’t an everyday occasion for any school — yet prep students Scott and Clyde Pepena are one of four pairs now at Harristown State School in 2025.
The dynamic duo are one of two sets of twins starting in prep, with Harper and Charlotte Widgell (year three) heading into three year.
Principal Jacqui Coleborn, who has been in education for more than 25 years, said having four pairs of twins at one school was something she had rarely seen.
“There are two little boys who started in prep, Clyde and Scott, and the girls in year 3, Jasmine and Charlotte,” she said.
“We get the odd set here and there, but to have two sets of twins in prep is quite uncommon.”
Ms Coleborn, who started at Harristown late last year, said the school already had more than 50 prep students and counting.
“The first day went well, there were a few little tears and we’re learning routines and expectations and all that,” she said.
“The first week is very crucial, it’s all about setting routines and expectations, and just trying to get them settled in and used to the school and what happens here.
“The work that goes into transitioning them to school, it really starts in about term three the year before – that’s when we start offering transition days where parents can bring their kids in to spend a day there.”
Ms Coleborn said she was proud of the school’s diverse cohort, where a third of pupils spoke English as a second language.
“About 35 per cent of our school are kids who have English as a second language, and about 25 per cent are First Nations students,” she said.
Toowoomba East State School
As she farewelled her daughter Remi for her first day of school on Tuesday, Christina Drysdale said she could feel the cycle starting again.
“She’s starting and our eldest child just graduated from year 12 last year, so we had one finish and one starting, so we’re back at the beginning,” she joked.
Remi is one of more than 120 children starting prep at Toowoomba East State School in 2025, which makes it one of the city’s largest public schools for the year level.
Ms Drysdale said the decision to send her daughter to her local public school was an easy choice.
“Our other two went there and we have strong connections with the school so I thought it would be perfect for her to start her learning journey,” she said.
“She’s very excited and very familiar and she’s ready to go – she’s ready to learn new things.
“It’s not just the education, there’s the PE, music, library – so many things they can do.”
Toowoomba East State School is one of the city’s best-performing public schools in NAPLAN results.
Toowoomba Christian College
Isabella Doran isn’t just looking forward to starting her school journey — she’s also excited to be part of a family tradition dating back more than 30 years.
The Pittsworth youngster is among the hundreds of kids across the Toowoomba region who started prep this week.
Isabella will be joining her sister Avalene at Toowoomba Christian College in Highfields, which is among a number of independent schools kicking off the year on Tuesday.
The estimated 40-minute commute is worth it according to their mother Julienne, who said TCC had been educating her family since 1988.
“It makes a difference when the child is excited about it — she’s the youngest of 12 maternal cousins and many of them are at TCC, so there’s this wonderful of sense of momentum of going to the same school where so many of her family went,” she said.
“She’s joining a club and that’s very exciting for her, even more exciting than school itself. “She knows she’s got those bigger cousins and her sister there, so it’s great to have that beautiful heritage guide her on that journey.”
Ms Doran said packing a first-day school bag for the final time was a “bittersweet” feeling for her and husband Matthew, but it also had its trade-offs.
“The end of an era — there’s a different perspective of how special these things are.
“It’s quite bittersweet, but also lovely to have the one school drop-off now.”
St Saviour’s Primary School
Even on her first day, Molly Logan had no fear of going to big school — partly because she knew her dad wouldn’t be far away.
The excited and energetic prep student was one of 75 pupils who started their schooling journey at St Saviour’s Primary School, where her father Henry is a year 6 teacher.
Schools within the Toowoomba Catholic Diocese kicked off their school years on Wednesday, along with a number of independent colleges.
Mr Logan said he and his wife Lauren, who also works with the Diocese, did not hesitate when it came to picking a school for their firstborn.
“(It was easy) with the facilities that are here and knowing the teacher staff really well,” he said.
“The teaching staff there do a really good job with transitions, making them feel really comfortable.
“Going up to five days is going to be a bit of a challenge, (but) she’s got a couple of mates from kindy who have come here, so it does help her to settle.”
“We really love the values that they have in St Saviour’s and how they weave that into everything they do,” Ms Logan added.
“That was a big reason we chose St Saviour’s.”
Despite the proximity he’ll have to his daughter, Mr Logan said he was not planning to keep tabs on her.
“No way, we’ll be very separate until the bell rings at 3pm,” he said with a jovial tone.
“It is such a good area down there, being fully-fenced — they have their own little existence down there.”
The start of the school year also marked the debut of several new areas and play equipment, including a new library with learning spaces, junior playground and play areas specifically for prep students.
Primary school principal Sam Hannant said the major revamp was already a hit with kids.
“The kids are checking out the new facilities we have, we’ve got new playgrounds and cubby houses and swings,” he said.
“We had a building project that lasted over 12 months which wrapped up around September, so the kids are enjoying them.”
Our Lady of Lourdes
A fresh cohort of 75 eager prep students isn’t the only thing new at Our Lady of Lourdes Primary School.
The small but proud Catholic school in Newtown is celebrating the first full year after completing a major revamp of its campus to include new learning spaces, admin buildings and outdoor equipment.
Second-year principal Bridget Trenerry said the school community was focusing on four key values that were established last year as part of a revision.
“Last year, we agreed as a community on our four values - we are a community, we are courageous, we are kind and we serve,” she said.
“Kindness, bravery, service and community, and that is what shapes our students as little people.
“This community is very strong with parents and staff - we have a lot of parents heavily involved, because they want their children to do well.
“This is the year where I genuinely know the community and know where we’re going to be in understanding our values to be successful.”
Our Lady of Lourdes now has three classrooms of prep students, something Ms Trenerry said was a great addition to the school community.
“I’ve worked in small schools and large schools, and three streams is great because they’ve got lots of children to get to know, great teachers and officers so it’s a really healthy number of students,” she said.
The Glennie School
From the moment she was born, Isla Robotham was destined to be a Glennie girl.
After all, it’s the school her mother Kaitlynne graduated from and her grandfather Steve helped lead.
Isla was among the dozens of young girls who started prep at the elite Newtown private school, which kicked off its year on Wednesday.
After spending her entire schooling career at Glennie, Ms Robotham said there was never a doubt it was where she’d send her daughter.
“I had my heart set that she was going to be a Glennie girl — she went to kindy there, so today she saw her little friends again, it was nice for her,” she said.
“She was more excited than anything (on Wednesday), she’s just excited to read and write, but being the best she can be.
“It’s the community feel, the friends, the staff, it had a really nice homely feel (and still does).
“I still have friends from school that I keep in contact with.”
Ms Robotham’s dad Steve Warren was head of junior school at Glennie from 1996 until 2018, as part of a 24-year career.
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