Ngarri Primary School officially opens to more than 250 kids, with more to come

The newest school to open in Wyndham welcomed 259 excited students for the start of term 1 — and that number is set to grow.

Ngarri Primary school principal Honey Stirling, Minister for Education Natalie Hutchins and some of the school's new students.

School is finally in session at Ngarri Primary School, as Wyndham’s newest school opened to an influx of excited students eager to launch into the school year.

Located in Manor Lakes, which itself is one of Melbourne’s newest and fastest growing suburbs, Ngarri officially welcomed 259 students smartly dressed in their new green and black uniform on Monday.

The school expects its student population to exceed 300 by the end of term, after a large number of parents arrived on day one to enrol their children on the spot.

This reflects the population boom expected for Manor Lakes which is expected to grow from 12,826 residents to 43,000 residents by 2041.

A chaotic yet “exciting” opening morning was a long time coming according to Ngarri’s inaugural principal Honey Stirling, who “could not be prouder” of the new school.

“I have been looking forward to this day for almost two terms. I’m glad it’s here, it’s amazing to see all the students come through the front gates with their uniforms and smiles,” she said.

“We opened with 259 but already we’ve had parents coming in with their kids in uniform, ready to enrol. I am positive this number is going to get bigger very quickly.

“It’s hugely important to be able to accommodate the growth in this area. We are in a growth corridor and we are set to be one of the largest new schools.

“I’ve always lived and worked in Wyndham so remaining in a place I’m very passionate about is very important to me.”

The school has space for 650 students with specialist facilities for science, technology, food, music and drama subjects, as well as a state of the art gym.

A new kindergarten is also being constructed next to the school.

Ngarri was one of 12 new schools opening in Melbourne this week.

The school’s name ‘Ngarri’ was chosen by the community and translates to ‘she-oak’ in Wadawurrung.

Likewise, the school’s logo is a thumb print to reflect each student being unique.

“There are lots of native Australian animals which call she-oaks home and there will be lots of people who call Ngarri home as well,” Ms Stirling said.

Among the welcoming party on day one was Education Minister Natalie Hutchins, who officially opened the school.

“I’d like to wish every student returning to school this week the best of luck in the coming year,” she said.

“More students than every have the facilities and first class education they deserve, thanks to the Labor Government’s record investment in school infrastructure and support for teachers, ensuring Victoria remains the education state.”