School desperate to find new site ahead of demolition

A school catering for students with learning difficulties is in desperate need of a new home, with the current site having reached capacity and set to be demolished.

Students Mitchell Hoadley 17, Jake Hatfield 15, Will Davis 15, and Jacoby Frances 15, at Horizons College. Picture: Lachie Millard

• Teachers beamed into classrooms 1000km away

A school catering for students with learning difficulties or who have been mercilessly bullied is in desperate need of a new home, with their current site having reached capacity and set to be demolished.

Horizons College, based in Caboolture in the Moreton Bay region, doesn’t require its 220 students to bring anything with them - stationery, textbooks, learning technology and food are provided, and there is no mandatory uniform policy.

Automotive teacher Chris Warrant with students Mason Wade-Morphett 15, Ainslee Hanson 15, and Scott Watterson 15, in the workshop at Horizons College. Picture: Lachie Millard

There are no school fees required, parents only have to pay a resource levy of $30 per week, with the ‘special assistance’ classification meaning Horizons College receives significant Commonwealth funding as well as state government support.

The independent special assistance school’s 14 students per classroom - with a teacher and teacher aide in each - is non-negotiable and part of their emphasis is on student wellbeing.

Principal Jane Robinson said in mainstream schools with 28-30 students per classroom, teachers just weren’t able to meet the learning needs of some students.

“Our students have learning or behaviour difficulties such as ADHD, or they have been bullied at their previous school, or they may be transgender or non-binary or LGBTQIA+ and looking for more acceptance,” she said.

“Our demand has grown every year since we started in 2014 and we currently lease an old butter factory built in 1987. It is not a purpose-built school but it has met our needs so far.

“But now we don’t have a single classroom spare, every room is used throughout the day.”

Students take a break in the recreation area at Horizons College. Picture: Lachie Millard

Horizons College is appealing for help from the community, local council, and state government to find a new home. They are in a position to buy land and build if required.

“Our building is so old now that when our lease expires at the end of 2026, the owner will demolish it because the roof leaks all the time when it rains,” Ms Robinson said.

Board chair Richard Smith said the College found a 10-acre block of land a few minutes from their current site, but council constraints meant it was “now dead in the water”.

“Five acres of it was usable, and the other five acres were one-in-one-hundred-year flood prone,” he said.

“But we thought it was great because we could just put the oval on the [flood prone] five acres and we could build the school on the other five acres.

“But then the council said no you can’t have anything on that part [flood prone five acres] so we had to half that block of land basically, and that was the end of that site.”

Hospitality teacher Alister Passley teaching a class at Horizons College. Picture: Lachie Millard

A City of Moreton Bay spokeswoman said the council could not go into the details of pre-lodgement discussions with the College due to commercial in confidence.

“Horizons College have had discussions with Council planning staff in relation to a site,” the statement read.

“Council can advise that approximately half of the site at 172-180 Old Gympie Road is impacted by river and creek flooding. Council’s planning scheme seeks to limit development to the area of the site that is not impacted by floodwaters.

“Council offers a free pre-lodgement service, available to Horizons, should they identify any prospective sites they would like to explore for development of a future school.”

Visual Arts teacher Brent Kriel with students Ray Bradford 15, and Kimberleigh Hodley 15. Picture: Lachie Millard

A Department of Education spokesman said neither the Department nor Education Minister Di Farmer had jurisdiction to intervene in the day-to-day operations of non-state schools.

“The operational decisions of every non-state school in Queensland are the responsibility of

their individual governing bodies,” the statement read.

“Horizons College receives funding from both the Australian and Queensland governments

to meet recurrent costs and general operating expenses.

“In 2024–25, the Queensland Government is providing $137.8 million in capital assistance for non-state schools … under the State Capital Assistance Scheme.

“However, the State Capital Assistance Scheme cannot be used for the acquisition of land or the purchase of pre-existing buildings.”

Independent Schools Australia is the governing body for Horizons College. Chief executive Graham Catt said ISA would continue to work with the Federal Government to ensure independent schools such as Horizons can continue to serve their communities.

“Specials assistance schools such as Horizons College are an example of the ability of the independent school sector to adapt and innovate to meet the needs of their students. There is a lot of demand for these schools, as Horizons has experienced,” he said.

“Special assistance schools have low fees or often charge no fees at all, so they depend on support and funding to continue to be able to deliver on their important work.”