$21m upgrade planned for St Columba College, featuring new middle school building, performing arts area and sports courts

An Adelaide school recording a rapid rise in student numbers is spending $21m on a major upgrade to cater for growing student numbers. See the college’s new designs.

A $21M upgrade has begun at St Columba College in Andrews Farm, catering for the enrolment growth brought by development across Adelaide’s north.

The school is planning a new building with classrooms for years 8 and 9 students, a middle school student services area and learning space for year 6-12 students with additional needs.

St Columba’s existing middle school building will be refurbished to make way for a new performing arts theatre for drama and music, along with drama and language classrooms.

The development also includes new covered sports courts and carparking upgrades.

St Columba College is planning a $21m upgrade at Andrews Farm. Picture: Swanbury Penglase.

Principal Leanne Carr said the project would cater for growing enrolments, with student numbers having already increased by almost 10 per cent over the past four years, to 1465 children.

The school’s capacity will stretch to 1675 once the work is complete.

Plans for the joint Anglican and Catholic school. Picture: Swanbury Penglase Architects.

“We don’t want to increase any further than that – we want to be a school where students are well known in the community and by their teachers and the staff,” Ms Carr said.

Site preparation works have already begun for the first part of the work, which includes redeveloping a lecture theatre to host performing arts, along with building the new courts.

The school will have a capacity of 1675 once works are complete. Picture: Swanbury Penglase Architects.

St Columba College principal Leanne Carr. Picture: AAP/Russell Millard

Ms Carr hoped the upgrade’s first stage would be complete later this year, and the new building would open in the middle of 2023.

St Columba is a joint Anglican and Catholic college, established in 1997, in response to Hickinbotham’s housing development plans.

Originally published as $21m upgrade planned for St Columba College, featuring new middle school building, performing arts area and sports courts