Rockhampton’s fastest growing schools revealed for 2023

New federal government data has revealed which schools are growing the fastest and which ones going backwards in the Rockhampton region. See how your school ranked.

New data has revealed which schools are growing the fastest in the Rockhampton region and which ones are going backwards.

Rockhampton’s fastest growing schools - and the ones going backwards - have been revealed.

An analysis of federal government data has revealed every Rockhampton region school’s student enrolment trajectory over the past five years - exposing where student numbers have risen and declined the most.

Capricornia School of Distance Education in Emerald is Rockhampton’s fastest growing school, with enrolments increasing by 217 per cent in the five years from 2018 to 2022.

The second fastest growing school was Goovigen State School in Goovigen with a 200 per cent change while Kingsley College in Berserker recorded the third biggest change with a 101 per cent increase.

Kingsley College Principal Michael Appleton said it was encouraging to see the school grow.

“It has been exciting to see the school more than double in size from 2018 to 2023, with 181 students currently on campus and 51 students studying via distance education,” he said.

“With the opening of new, award-winning facilities in 2021, a new early learning service in 2022, and a new primary block under construction, the school is drawing the attention of more and more families.

“Parents choosing Kingsley are looking for quality education, a safe environment, and a school where character and values are developed. We have a great team of teachers and support staff. Everyone working together with parents is what has made the school what it is today.”

With a growth of 77 per cent, Lighthouse Christian School principal Blair Harp said the school conducted about 100 interviews with prospective families each year.

He said the school was encouraged by the growth it had seen in recent years and didn’t take the trust families put in them lightly.

“Much of our growth comes from word of mouth in the community as parents relate the positive outcomes in the lives of their children. We believe that when students come to Lighthouse they find a place that offers intentional excellence in education in an environment where they are loved, accepted and challenged,” he said.

“The quality of a school hinges upon the quality of the staff. Quality teaching for learning is front and centre of our approach. This is where we focus and remain focussed. We research what approaches make the biggest difference for students in their learning and seek to ensure these are done with excellence and heart.

“Every staff member knows the part they play in student wellbeing and student learning. We like to believe that when students come to Lighthouse they find a place that offers intentional excellence in education in an environment where they are loved, accepted and challenged.”

Meanwhile, the analysis also highlighted the Rockhampton region’s schools in decline with Orion State School in Orion recording a 73 per cent drop over five years.

Comet State School in Comet was the second school going backwards for enrolment with a 56 per cent drop and Emerald Christian College in Emerald was the third with a 46 per cent decline.

A spokesman for the Department of Education said the government was committed to ensuring all students had access to a world-class education in state-of-the-art facilities no matter where they lived.

Berserker State School.

“The Department of Education monitors growth across the state and responds to ongoing enrolment demand to ensure the best educational outcomes for all students,” the spokesman said.

“This includes monitoring school capacity and enrolment data, as well as projected enrolment growth across the short, medium and long term to ensure future needs are catered for.

“The Department recognises the important role that state schools play in all communities across the state, including those in rural and remote areas of Queensland.

“Many schools are subject to fluctuations in enrolments as a result of demographic factors in the communities they serve. Some schools can be impacted by the opening of new schools nearby, with enrolments changing as a result of new catchments being implemented across the network of adjoining schools.

“In order to manage curriculum delivery, new secondary schools are often opened to only accept enrolments in Years 7 and 8 (or only Year 7 in some cases). Other schools have opened to support high growth areas of Queensland. Enrolments have grown rapidly in line with the growth in their local communities.”

The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority figures are the most up to date enrolment numbers that include all state and private schools nationally.

Schools with fastest growth between 2018 and 2022:

Capricornia School of Distance Education:217 per cent

Goovigen State School: 200 per cent

Kingsley College: 101 per cent

Bluff State School: 91 per cent

Lighthouse Christian School: 77 per cent

St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School: 69 per cent

Duaringa State School: 62 per cent

Westwood State School: 54 per cent

Stanwell State School: 44 per cent

St Brendan’s College: 42 per cent

Schools in decline 2018-2022:

Orion State School: 73 per cent

Comet State School: 56 per cent

Emerald Christian College: 46 per cent

Rolleston State School: 36 per cent

Bauhinia State School: 36 per cent

Our Lady of the Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School: 36 per cent

Marlborough State School: 35 per cent

The Caves State School: 35 per cent

Lochington State School: 33 per cent

Berserker Street State School: 32 per cent