Kambora Public School, Davidson: Education authorities could close its doors after massive enrolment plunge
A Sydney public primary school could be forced to close due to plunging enrolments — down to 41 students — as parents and locals vow to fight to keeps its doors open.
Manly
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A public primary school on the northern beaches could be forced to close due to plunging enrolments.
Kambora Public School at Davidson has just 41 students — including only two children in kindergarten — after it peaked at about 280 in 2018.
Education authorities have confirmed that consultations on the future of the school, which opened in 1979, had started with parents and community supporters as well as teacher and principal unions.
An information meeting organised by the NSW Education Department at the school on Monday night heard that it may be placed into “recess” — temporary closure — for 12 months in 2026 while the potential for increased future enrolments was assessed.
Under official department protocols, a school may be put into recess, close or merge with another school “when there are questions about the school’s ongoing viability and local circumstances result in declining enrolments”.
Latest figures reveal that public school enrolments in NSW have declined for a fourth consecutive year as private schools continue to swallow up a larger share of students.
But Kambora parents, supporters, the school’s Parent & Community (P&C) Committee and the local state MP have vowed to push to keep the school open.
The school had about 110 students in 2024, but 40 year 6 children left at the end of the year to attend high school, along with a number of students in year 5 who headed off to private schools.
This drop in numbers led to three amalgamated classes being created — a class for kindergarten, year 1 and 2, a class for years 3 and 4 and a class for years 5 and 6.
There was speculation locally that as the numbers plunged at Kambora, and concerns were raised about its future and children being in amalgamated classes, that parents began enrolling their children in other local public schools including Mimosa Public School, just 1.2kms away.
The schools at Wakehurst and Belrose have also had a significant decline in numbers over the last six years while enrolments at Mimosa had remained relatively steady with 517 enrolled this year.
Kambora P&C president, Lily Stewart, who has a son and daughter that the school, said on Tuesday that the department was “pushing to put Kambora into recess”.
“Let me be clear, I won’t stand by and let that happen,” Ms Stewart said.
“Kambora is not just another small school on the chopping block. It is a living, breathing community.
“It’s where our children feel safe, seen, and supported. It’s where they’re not just taught, they’re loved.”
Ms Stewart said closing Kambora was not just a bureaucratic decision, “it’s a betrayal of everything a public school should stand for”.
Monday’s meeting was told that if the school was closed, parents would be helped to enrol in another school and would receive assistance with new uniforms.
Liberal state MP for Davidson Matt Cross said he would call on Education Minister Prue Car to keep the school open in 2026.
“I want Kambora to stay open for the long term,” he said.
“I’ll be advocating to the Minister that no decision about the school’s future be made in 2025, as to allow the Kambora community sufficient time to boost enrolments, especially for Kindergarten in 2026.
“As Australians, we believe in a fair go for all.”
Mr Cross urged locals to make a submission to the Consultation Process Panel by June 20.
All students were able to continue their education at Kambora during the consultation period.
A department spokesman confirmed that consultations with the school community about the “future educational provision at the school” had started.
“No decision has been made on the school’s status,” the spokesman said.
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