Pymble: Northside Montessori School plans $1.7m expansion to offer secondary education

The principal of a north shore Montessori school has revealed why the campus is planning to become the first in the northern Sydney region to offer secondary education. See what’s planned.

Northside Montessori School on the north shore is set to increase its enrolment capacity for senior students.

A school in Sydney’s north shore is set to boost its student headcount as it plans to begin providing secondary schooling up to Year 12.

Northside Montessori School has applied to Ku-ring-gai Council to build a $1.7 million upgrade to accommodate an extra 80 students at the campus in coming years.

The school – at 42-46 Bobbin Head Rd, Pymble – currently caters to primary students and began a Year 7 program last year with six students.

School principal Adam Scotney said the school was now planning a gradual increase of additional secondary students up to Year 12 in the coming years.

The $1.7 million expansion would include adding a new floor to an existing coeducational school building, comprising three new classrooms for the additional student population.

The school has been operating at its current location since 1985.

The school’s plans state development could address enrolment demand in the area and “reduce pressure” on surrounding schools.

Mr Scotney said the development would make the school the only Montessori campus in the northern Sydney region to offer secondary schooling up to Year 12.

The school has lodged development plans to Ku-ring-gai Council.

As part of the proposal, the existing primary student population would decrease by 10 students, to be offset with 80 new secondary students.

A photo of the school.

The development would take the school’s enrolment capacity from a total of 210 to 280 students.

Mr Scotney said the school was aiming to provide about 8-12 places per year for the school’s secondary program over the coming years.

“The school commenced secondary schooling in 2022 with six Year 7 students (and) in 2023 we have nine Year 7 students and six Year 8 students,” he said.

“Our program will continue to grow over the coming years with years 9, 10, 11 & 12 being added. It is planned that the additional students will be added gradually, 8-12 students per year with the total being reached by around 2028-2030.”

Development plans show the school originally wanted to increase its capacity to 336 students however reduced the “scope and scale” of the proposal in response to feedback from Ku-ring-gai Council.

A photo of the school’s Year 7 music program.

Development plans to the council show features of the expansion include eight extra carparking spaces at the camps – bringing the total to 39.

The school would also hire up to six additional teachers to accommodate the additional student population.

Mr Scotney said the school was aiming to begin construction by the end of the year, with completion by the end of 2024.

He said the development would also allow existing school facilities, including the multipurpose hall, to be more available for community groups after school and on weekends.

Northside Montessori School has been offering Montessori Education in the Pymble area since 1978, moving to the current Bobbin Head Road location in 1985.

The existing campus contains three separate buildings along with student recreation areas including basketball courts, an animal enclosure and Indigenous garden.

The development proposal is currently under assessment by Ku-ring-gai Council.