Waiting lists lengthen as demand surges at top Gold Coast private schools

Demand has never been higher at independent schools on the Gold Coast. Here’s what you need to know if you’re thinking of enrolling your child.

LEADING private schools on the Gold Coast have enrolments stretching as far as 2037 as the popularity of independent schooling continues to grow.

Census data shows the number of children attending independent schools surged between 2011 and 2021, with numbers up an extraordinary 48 per cent at secondary level as schools expanded rapidly to meet demand.

The popularity of the schools has been further boosted by strong migration to the Gold Coast, with the majority of families arriving from interstate favouring private education.

Moving to the Gold Coast director Janneke Leffers, who provides help for people relocating to the city, said finding a school place was one of the key issues facing families coming here from Sydney and Melbourne.

“A lot of people that are moving from interstate are keen to get into private schools,” Ms Jeffers said. “But their waiting lists are growing, so that’s not always a given.”

Somerset College principal Craig Bassingthwaighte. Photo: Scott Powick.

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Somerset College headmaster Craig Bassingthwaighte said the Mudgeeraba school had waiting lists at many year levels, with enrolments “stretching to 2037 at the moment”.

Mr Bassingthwaighte said that while on most occasions families will wait “less than a year” to secure a place, parents were getting their children’s names down as early as possible.

“(The length of time waiting) depends on students who leave, allowing an opportunity for us to offer someone else a place,” he said.

“... That is why so many parents are enrolling as soon as they can for the entry years of Pre Prep and Year 7, otherwise you are relying on a leaver’s place being available.”

St Hilda’s School Registrar Kaitlin Barrell said the Southport-based school is also currently waitlisting for several year groups and encourage families to apply as early as possible to avoid disappointment.

“Where applications are submitted early enough into key intake years, places are generally secured,” Ms Barrell said. “However, enrolment outside of intake years at short notice can mean uncertainty.”

A spokesperson for the Silkwood School in Mount Nathan, popular for its personalised learning plans, said families could expect a one to two-year wait on its waitlist.

The popularity of private schools on the Gold Coast – where 24 per cent of students attend independent schools – is far above state and national averages, which are both pegged at just over 15 per cent.

Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) CEO Chris Mountford said enrolment numbers at private schools on the Gold Coast were the highest on record.

“The diversity of schools offered by the independent sector gives parents real choice when it comes to deciding where to send their child to school. This has always been a major drawcard for parents,” Mr Mountford said.

“More than 140,000 students are now enrolled in Queensland independent schools, including 29 schools in the Gold Coast City Council local government area, educating more than 21,000 students.

“This enrolment figure is the highest on record, and ISQ research shows parents are making the school selection process much earlier in their child’s life.”

Independent Schools Queensland CEO Chris Mountford. Picture: News Corp/Attila Csaszar.

Mr Mountford said the majority of parents chose a school at least two years before their child is due to start.

“According to ISQ’s latest What Parents Want survey, around 66 per cent of parents who choose an independent school do so at least two years before the child starts school. Almost a quarter of parents start thinking about this before or just after the child is born,” he said.

“The survey also shows the value parents place on the agility and flexibility of independent schools, which came to the fore during the pandemic. More than 85 per cent of parents that responded to the survey said they were satisfied or very satisfied with the way independent schools handled the pandemic.

“Due to the increase in demand, a lot of schools are having to implement a waiting list to manage capacity. About 76 per cent of the current independent school student cohort were on a waiting list prior to commencing school.”

Numbers are also up at the significantly at city’s Catholic schools, with a number of new schools opening in recent years.

A spokesperson for Brisbane Catholic Education said they were “driven by the fundamental principle of Catholic education” which was “to provide opportunities for all and strive to ensure that student and parents have a wide variety of education options.”

‘DEEP BOND’ BETWEEN SCHOOL AND FAMILIES

Saint Stephen's College student Noah Green 5 shows how much he loves his school in front of fellow students Nevah Dutton 8, Robert Joe Cochrane, 16, and Tehya Hyssett, 16. Picture: Glenn Hampson.

PARENTS of children at one of the northern Gold Coast’s most popular private schools say there is a “deep bond” between the school and families, while there are an “array of opportunities” for its students.

Saint Stephen’s College in Coomera, which educates 1174 children from Prep to Year 12, has waiting lists across most year levels as parents clamour to get their children in.

Steve and Jill Moreland, who have three children at the school, said it had an “essence and spirit” that was “palpable on campus and around the school environment.”

“Community is paramount,” they said. “Almost the entire school population have chosen to be part of the school specifically and voluntarily.

“This creates, in our experience, a real contract of commitment to the school by both parents and kids from the very start of that relationship and it can last a lifetime.”

The parents also said the school’s independence was “of huge benefit to children”, allowing it to make decisions on how resources were allocated “more easily than much larger government organisations.”

Principal Kim Cohen said the length of time parents could expect to wait for a place at Saint Stephen’s varied depending on year level.

“Being an Early Learning to Year 12 co-educational school, there are currently waiting lists across most year levels at Saint Stephen’s College for 2023 with only a very limited number of places available in Years 9, 10 and 11 for 2023,” Ms Cohen said.

“We would also expect a wait list to develop quickly for our recent offering of a Certificate IV in Musical Theatre as it is also offered to external students allowing them to stay at their current school while undertaking the course.

“The length of time that parents can expect to be waiting is very hard to determine and varies from year to year, as places only come available when current families move on.”

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