Hunter: Fastest growing school in region, St Bede’s Catholic College in Chisholm
An analysis of federal government data has revealed every Hunter region school’s student enrolment trajectory over the past five years. See where your child’s school ranks.
Schools Hub
Don't miss out on the headlines from Schools Hub. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Hunter’s fastest growing schools - and the ones going backwards - have been revealed.
An analysis of federal government data has revealed every Hunter region school’s student enrolment trajectory over the past five years - exposing where student numbers have risen and declined the most.
St Bede’s Catholic College in Chisholm is Hunter’s fastest growing school, with enrolments increasing by 506 per cent in the five years from 2018 to 2022.
Opening its doors in 2018, the school has grown from just year seven now through to its first year 12 students this year.
“I’m incredibly proud. It’s a proud moment to have the year seven students who started back in 2018 to see them graduate, it’s the proudest moment of my career,” Principal John Murphy said.
“I think parents like what we stand by and also the contemporary learning spaces provided.”
He said the first few years they had to work to get enrolment numbers up as they set-up the school, now things have drastically changed.
“Now is the opposite problem. Demand for places now exceed the number of positions offered and that’s what is happening,” Mr Murphy explained.
“Enrolment pressures are now where we can’t accommodate everyone.”
Parent representative Michelle McDonald has been with the school from the start, seeing the first sod turned on the project.
She has two daughters who attend, Georgia who just graduated from year 12 and Colby in year 9, and said the school has come very far.
“Things are changing, it is much bigger now and I experienced it from a lump of dirt so to see it now, the care and concern for the kids is still there,” she said.
“I’m glad I took my children here as they are blossoming and many other students that I have known, I see them blossoming as well.
“Parents have great confidence in sending their kids to this school.”
The second fastest growing school was Pacific Brook Christian School in Muswellbrook with a 324 per cent change while All Saints College in Maitland recorded the third biggest change with a 136 per cent increase.
Meanwhile, the analysis also highlighted the Hunter region’s schools in decline with Belltrees Public School in Belltrees recording a 76 per cent drop over five years.
Blandford Public School in Blandford was the second school going backwards for enrolment with a 71 per cent drop and Martins Creek Public School in Martins Creek was the third with a 50 per cent decline.
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:
St Bede’s Catholic College:506 per cent
Pacific Brook Christian School: 324 per cent
All Saints College: 136 per cent
Fern Bay Public School: 106 per cent
Brightwaters Christian College: 96 per cent
Mitchells Island Public School: 88 per cent
Gillieston Public School: 80 per cent
Heritage College Lake Macquarie: 79 per cent
Manning Valley Anglican College: 79 per cent
Australian Christian College - Singleton: 77 per cent
Schools in decline 2018-2022:
Belltrees Public School: 76 per cent
Blandford Public School: 71 per cent
Martins Creek Public School: 50 per cent
Broke Public School: 50 per cent
Martindale Public School: 47 per cent
Congewai Public School: 44 per cent
St Joseph’s Primary School: 41 per cent
Stratford Public School: 38 per cent
Upper Lansdowne Public School: 35 per cent
Mount Kanwary Public School: 34 per cent
Co-ed V girls’ schools V boys’ schools: Which students perform better revealed
Exclusive analsis of NAPLAN results has revealed who comes out on top between girls’ schools, boys’ schools or co-ed. See how your NSW school stacks up.
Cash-strapped schools take the axe to Healthy Harold
An iconic school health education program featuring a giraffe called Healthy Harold is under threat, with schools already forced to stop using it, citing state government funding cuts.