First look inside new North Kellyville Public School opening

A NEW school is a daunting experience for little fish joining a big pond, but students, teachers and staff will all be in the same position when North Kellyville Public School throws open the classroom doors for the first time this month.

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A NEW school is a daunting experience for little fish joining a big pond, but students, teachers and staff will all be in the same position when North Kellyville Public School throws open the classroom doors for the first time this month.

The $35 million state-of-the-art public school will welcome an initial 300 students from kinder to year six on January 30, before its continued expansion sees a total 1000 students by its completion in 2020.

Ella Humby 5 years (left) Ava Glover 5 years (right) at the new North Kellyville Public School (Daily Telegraph-Flavio Brancaleone)

The school at 120-126 Hezlett Rd, North Kellyville — which will open on the same day as the new Bella Vista Public School — comes as a series of schools across northwest Sydney become plagued with overpopulation as classrooms reach capacity.

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian said the school was one of 17 to open across the state this month.

“This is part of our record investment in education,” Ms Berejiklian said.

“Certain parts of Sydney are growing rapidly and we’ve made sure our investment in education is matching that.”

Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams said North Kellyville Public School was critical infrastructure delivered to the community.

“Nothing makes me prouder than to see important infrastructure rolled out in your own electorate,” he said.

“This is where the rubber hits the road and all the hard work pays off.

Castle Hill state Liberal MP Ray Williams at the new school. (Daily Telegraph-Flavio Brancaleone)

“This new school will ultimately provide education for up to 1000 students in the Kellyville area.”

While school principal Tom Moth said although the cohort was small, North Kellyville would have a “big school mentality”.

“We are providing new and exciting opportunities for students across the local area,” Mr Moth said.

“We won’t just provide them with knowledge from the tradition curriculum but provide them knowledge for the ever-changing work they will be apart of.

“A lot of our neighbouring schools are at capacity and their existing accommodation is exhausted … so North Kellyville Public will help to alleviate some of that stress and become a part of a wider family.”

NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian visits North Kellyville Public School on 21Jan 2019 Gladys Berejiklian meeting the crowd (Daily Telegraph-Flavio Brancaleone)

The new school’s opening did not come without controversy, however, with calls for increased parking to accommodate teaching staff from Castle Hill MP Ray Williams, and a series of mix-ups around the opening date of the school to students this year.