Push for Wentworth Point High School to accept year 8 students in 2025

Parents in a crowded Sydney suburb are furious over a decision that will force some students to be denied access to a high school, despite living across the road from the long-awaited facility.

Parents are furious over a government decision that means year 8 students will be denied access to the long-promised high school at Wentworth Point when it opens in 2025 – despite some children living across the road from the facility.

Mother-of-two Heba Aly and more than 100 Wentworth Point Public School parents have signed a petition for Education Minister Prue Car that requests years 7 and 8 should be permitted to start at Wentworth Point High School in 2025, not just a year 7 cohort.

In August last year, the former NSW Government said it would consider opening the school to year 7 and 8 cohorts.

But parents have only recently found out that the option for both grades has been dumped and the Burroway Rd school will only accept year 7 students in 2025.

The decision will hit families such as Mrs Aly’s hard. Her son Yusuf is in year 6 and will have to travel to Concord High School and cannot attend Wentworth Point High in year 8 in 2025.

Heba Aly, her husband Mouhamad Dehen and their children Maryam and Yusuf in their Wentworth Point apartment. Wentworth Point High School is under construction across the road.

Wentworth Point Public School’s year 6 students will be blocked from attending the high school in the same street.

This is despite his sister Maryam, who is now in year 5, being able to attend high school across the road from her family’s apartment.

In the petition to the government, Mrs Aly said parents were not consulted about the decision.

“We have waited more than a decade for the promised local high school to be delivered and now we are told that our year 6 children will have to travel over an hour to Concord High,’’ she said.

“Concord High is already chronically overcrowded operating at more than 40 per cent over capacity, with approximately 1300 students attending a school built for 900.’’

An artist’s impression of the school from Burroway Rd.

Parents are desperate for the government to readjust its stance.

“Wentworth Point is a high density suburb only 600 metres in length and we all looked forward to our children walking the short distance to the new high school,’’ Mrs Aly said.

Wentworth Point resident Fatima Zeitoun’s children – year 7 student Mahdi Zeitoun and year 5 daughter Myriam – will also be forced to attend different high schools.

Mahdi already attends Concord High School.

“It’s so bad because my son wakes up at 7am and he goes by bus at 7.35 to get to school by 8.30,’’ she said.

“I’m scared because he goes on the bus alone.’’

Wentworth Point mums Hana Bali, Fatima Zeitoun, Heba Aly and Afiat Khalifa.

Mum Afiat Khalifa is concerned about children’s safety.

“The risks are much higher than having the school around the corner,’’ she said.

Parent Hana Bali criticised the government:

“Why didn’t they come to the community and ask what we need?’’

Parramatta state Labor MP Donna Davis said she would continue advocating for residents with Ms Car.

“The community has waited for over 10 years for a high school on the Olympic Peninsula,’’ she said.

“I am acutely aware of the importance of students being able to attend schools close to where they live.”

An Education Department spokeswoman said a revised open date was set for 2025, when the intake of year 7 students would begin, after construction was pushed back to late last year because of “unavoidable delays”.

“Staggered enrolments are common practice for new high schools, allowing student numbers to progressively grow, ensuring teaching staff can delivering a curriculum based on student preferences and allowing time for a school culture to develop,’’ she said.

She said the 2025 open date was communicated with the community regularly.