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New schools in northwest Sydney filling up before they open their doors

Enrolments are flooding in for three new Sydney schools — but doors won’t open until next year. See which schools are planned for your area.

Sydney’s growing suburbs are in for a schools building boom, with northwest Sydney enrolments rapidly filling before the campuses even open.

In just four days after applications went live on July 17,350 enrolment expressions of interests were received for three temporary schools in the northwest, which are not set to open until next year.

Melonba High School, Tallawong Public School and Nirimba Fields Public School will open next year after the NSW government fast-tracked the joint project.

“Communities in Sydney’s northwest have been badly neglected under the former government which failed to plan and build new schools in fast growing communities,” Deputy Premier Prue Car said.

“That frustration was one of the reasons why there was a change of government in March.”

Principals at the new schools to open in 2024, Leon Weatherstone (left) and Julie Grennard. Picture: Sam Ruttyn
Principals at the new schools to open in 2024, Leon Weatherstone (left) and Julie Grennard. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Melonba High School, Tallawong Public School and Nirimba Fields Public School will cater to 1000 students across the three locations, meaning already a third of student places have been snatched up.

Marsden Park’s Kishwar Panna was quick to list her daughter down for Year 7 at Melonba High in the next suburb, after struggling to find her a place in nearby private schools.

Kishwar Panna and her daughter Rihaana Patel. Picture: Sam Ruttyn
Kishwar Panna and her daughter Rihaana Patel. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“We were looking for something not too expensive so away from the city, it’s a nice and upcoming area and we like the people here,” Mrs Panna said.

“But the infrastructure has been slow compared to the number of houses, it’s a struggle with the facilities, it wasn’t very convenient.”

She listed her daughter as soon as she could, “grateful” there is now an option for Rihaana to go to school without travelling across several suburbs.

New Melonba High School principal Leon Weatherstone said the demand had been overwhelming from the Marsden Park community, and he expected the schools to fill quickly.

“It looks like we’ll be even at about 1000 students in two or three years, there’s very strong demand and a very large area of housing growth,” he said.

“I know many of the families that I’ve spoken to have been really grateful that this is happening … because they’ve been concerned about having to send their children far away to be able to get an education in high school.

“This will provide something far more local to the community.”

The northwest Sydney growth area has seen a population boom, with new housing estates going up faster and faster as families seek out affordable homes on the outskirts of Sydney.

A spokesperson for School Infrastructure NSW said a combination of census data, council data and forecasts from the Department of Planning and Environment was used to choose where new schools are built.

“The NSW government is currently running an Enrolment Growth Audit to assess the school needs of communities across the state,” the spokesperson said.

“Its findings will inform the Growth Areas Schools Plan which will ensure we have schools that meet the needs of growing communities into the future.”

The northwest Sydney growth area is getting the lion’s share of the 28 new school builds coming to Sydney, including new schools in Schofields/Tallawong and Jordan Springs areas.

However development is not limited to the outer suburbs, with Green Square getting its own public school to keep up with an influx in high density apartment living.

Got a story? Email jessica.mcsweeney@news.com.au

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/new-south-wales-education/new-schools-in-northwest-sydney-filling-up-before-they-open-their-doors/news-story/e6a76e9f2b2c8025d4effb170b80da82