Fastest and slowest growing Gold Coast schools

GOLD Coast school populations are growing, some at a rate of over 350 per cent in just five years. SEE HOW YOUR SCHOOL RATES

New students Mitchell and Katey Ludcke from Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School, which has the highest five year growth on the Gold Coast.

SOME Gold Coast schools have tripled in size in the past five years and the number of teachers is expected to grow by 3700 teachers to match the demand.

As one of the fastest growing regions in Australia, schools in the Gold Coast’s north are stretching to meet capacity as the city population climbs to 698,404 by 2026.

Population at the fastest expanding school in the region, Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School, increased 357 per cent or 410 students in five years.

Pimpama State Secondary Collegehas had a huge growth spurt. Picture Mike Batterham

It was followed by Coomera Rivers State School (up 158 per cent) and Pimpama State School (88.5 per cent).

In the past year alone, Pimpama State Primary School and Pimpama State Secondary College increased 75.28 per cent and 28.50 per cent respectively.

Coomera Rivers State School had 19.41 per cent more students.

Ten new state primary and secondary schools have been built in the fast-growing Gold Coast area in as many years, representing an investment of over $310 million.

The $34.5 million Picnic Creek State School in Coomera East opened this year, to help meet the needs of the area and planning for a new secondary school at Coomera is also underway.

The Queensland Department of Education expects the teaching workforce in the state to grow by 3700 teachers over the next four years.

Grattan Institute School Education Program Director Peter Goss said increasing student population and new schools on the Gold Coast would be the new norm, with 20-30 schools estimated for the next decade.

Students from Currumbin Valley State School cool off at Currumbin Alley. Pic by Luke Marsden.

GET FULL DIGITAL ACCESS FOR 50C A DAY

“Australia as a whole is growing,” Dr Goss said. “That means more kids, partly driven by a mini baby boom in 2006.

“That cohort is about to hit secondary school and with high levels of internal and external migration. What we end up with is fast growth overall.

“The Gold Coast is a big area and an aggregate of government figures suggests from 2016-2026, it can expect about 25,000 new students, an increase of 27 per cent.”

Dr Goss said there was evidence to suggest overcrowded schools were more stressful for students as they had higher noise levels and less space.

Ingleside State School students.

GOLDEN AGE: PRINCIPAL JOHN THORNBERRY TALKS ABOUT GROWTH

“Adding more teachers is the easiest thing to do. The infrastructure needs to be managed in time with the growth.”

Dr Goss estimated the Gold Coast would have 20-30 new schools built in the next decade, two thirds of which would be primary.

“Building schools should be seen as the new normal.

“Primary schools are the beating heart of most new communities as parents get to know each other through primary schools, so the schools of the next decade will be very important in any establishing community hub.”

Parents of students in the Coomera area say they were not surprised to hear schools in the booming northern suburbs had growing enrolments.

Liz McIntosh, the mother of a Coomera primary student, said the area needed more schools, and fast.

“High schools more than primary schools need to be set up, especially this end of the Coast,” Mrs McIntosh said.

Mother of two, Jodie Adams, said she was happy with the current number of school being developed in the area.

“I’m happy they are actually starting to think about the growth, the population and also the children,” Mrs Adam said.

ONE YEAR GROWTH

Pimpama State Primary School 75.28% +271 students

Pimpama State Secondary College 28.50% +302 students

Coomera Rivers State School 19.41% +223 students

Currumbin Valley State School 16.20% +20 students

Ingleside State School Tallebudgera 14.74% +14 students

FIVE YEAR GROWTH

Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School 356.52% +410 students

Coomera Rivers State School 158.38% +841 students

Pimpama State School 88.5% +300 students

Southport State High School 78.61% +779 students

Ingleside State School, Tallebudgera 70.81% +47 students

HIGHEST TEACHER TO STUDENT RATIOS

Marymount Primary School 19.14

Gu ardian Angel’s Catholic Primary School 19.11

Broadbeach State School 18.73

St Augustine’s Parish Primary School 18.59