Back to school: Full list of new schools, upgrades on day one term one 2024

Sydney’s public school students are kicking off the school year in 200 brand-new classrooms, six new libraries and five new school halls. See the full list.

Artist’s impression of the new Gulyangarri Public School in Liverpool. A public preschool will be part of the main building.

Sydney’s public school students are kicking off the school year in 200 brand-new classrooms, with 11 newly-built or upgraded schools now open for 8600 students.

Across NSW, 18 schools have received upgrades over the school holidays, with the finishing touches put on two new schools – Gulyangarri Public School in Liverpool and Jerrabomberra High School near the ACT border.

Three new temporary schools in Sydney’s northwest growth corridor are also opening for the first day of term today, Nirimba Fields Public School, Melonba High School and Tallawong Public School.

In the Sydney metropolitan area alone five schools have new or upgraded halls, including Fort Street Public School and John Palmer High, and six have new libraries, including Mosman High.

The Liverpool West and Oran Park primary schools and Seven Hills and Glenwood high schools have also completed upgrades.

The site of the temporary primary school in Nirimba Fields. It will be located on part of the permanent school site on the corner of Triton and Nabthorpe Parades. Picture: Supplied

Gulyangarri PS principal Ian Tapuska said there was “a real buzz” among staff as they made their final preparations to welcome their first 120 students.

Eventually the school will cater to 20 mainstream classes, four support classes, and there’s purpose-built before and after school care facilities.

New teachers have spent the last six months ordering in their classroom necessities when construction finished up with the “bare basics”, with the goods arriving last week – just in the nick of time.

“It’s nice to come in to brand new facilities,” Mr Tapuska said.

“Everyone is locked in position, ready to fire on all cylinders when the gate opens at 8am.”

Premier Chris Minns said the new infrastructure is part of a “targeted investment” to clear the backlog of “urgently needed” new schools.

Ian Tapuska, new principal of Gulyangarri Public School in Liverpool.

Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car said she was “proud” that the government is catering to the families of Western Sydney.

“I know our new public schools will become cornerstone of growing communities for generations to come,” she said.

Parents opting for a private school education will have a few more options from this year too, with four new non-government schools registering with the NSW Education Standards Authority.

Cedars Christian College will open a special needs school called Aspire on its Illawarra grounds, while St Philip’s Christian College Gilibaa will open as an Aboriginal school in Salamander Bay.

A systemic Catholic primary school has also been registered in Medowie.