New schools that are planned or underway across Melbourne and rest of Victoria
New schools have been already earmarked for Tarneit to Point Cook and today’s state budget promises upgrades to country schools across the state. See which are getting an upgrade and when new schools will open.
Education
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Schools in Melbourne growth areas such as Tarneit, Werribee, Cranbourne and Clyde North are under construction as part of a rolling program to meet demand in many fast expanding suburbs.
And the 2019 Victorian state budget has allocated spending to upgrades on 17 regional schools, and planning for upgrades on 12 more.
Communities with new schools scheduled to open first term, 2020, have been invited to give them a name.
Most are currently known by temporary names such as Davis Creek Primary School, in Tarneit, and Lucas Primary School in the new suburb of Lucas on the outskirts of Ballarat.
The state government says it has invested $3.8 billion in school infrastructure over the past four budgets.
New schools opened this year in Richmond, Preston, Richmond, South Melbourne, Point Cook, Craigieburn, Doreen, Truganina, Burnside and Pakenham.
More schools are on the drawing board for the next three years.
Check our list below to see if your suburb will be home to a new government school, or if your local school is set for an upgrade.
Some specific sites have not been named as the department may be in negotiation and regards the site as having commercial confidentiality.
*school names are interim names.
MELBOURNE SCHOOLS OPENING IN 2020
Davis Creek Primary School
Wootten Road, Tarneit
Due to open first term next year, the new primary school will meet a growing need in the area for educational facilities.
Tarneit’s population was 35,000 in 2016 but is expected to grow to 63,000 by 2031 thanks to large scale residential subdivision.
Some $20 million has been allocated for the project.
Botanic Ridge Primary School
Browns Road and Echidna Place, Botanic Ridge
Located just shy of 50km southeast of Melbourne’s central business district, Botanic Ridge is in the booming City of Casey, near the Cranbourne Royal Botanic Gardens where large housing developments have been built recently.
The school and upgraded early learning facility will service two big housing developments: Botanic Ridge, and Settlers Run Estate.
Craigieburn South Secondary School
Cnr Elevation Boulevard and Debonair Pde, Craigieburn
The first stage will include a building for specialist subjects, learning spaces and administration areas.
The school received an additional $24 million in the current budget for construction.
Due to open first term next year, the school is aimed at easing enrolment pressure and meeting future demand.
The current secondary school has an enrolment of more than 1000.
Beveridge West Primary School
30 Ambrosia Way, Beveridge
This will be a new campus for the existing Beveridge Primary School.
Work is still to be done to address questions around the logistics of the two campuses, transport queries and the condition of Beveridge Primary School’s existing campus.
The school received just under $20 million in the current budget for construction.
The campus will include learning spaces, a performing arts and physical education building, and administration areas.
Wyndham South (Riverwalk) Primary School
Corner Timbarra Drive and Coldstream Ave, Werribee
Around 30km southwest of Melbourne in the growth area of Werribee, this project will deliver a new school and co-located early learning facility.
Casey Fields (Five Way) Primary School
Eliburn Drive, Cranbourne East
Construction is underway and the school is on track to open for Term 1 in 2020.
It will seek to ease enrolment pressures for surrounding schools and meet the demands of a growing population.
The school will include a performing arts and physical education building, learning spaces, relocatable classrooms and administration areas.
The school will accommodate 525 students and will cost about $20 million.
Clyde North East Primary School
Glenrose Boulevard, Clyde North
The school will help ease enrolment pressures at surrounding schools and meet future demand from a growing population. It will have an enrolment of 525.
The school will include learning spaces, a performing arts and physical education building, and administration areas. Depending on enrolment numbers, relocatable classrooms may be included. The school received an additional $20.8 million in the 2018-19 state budget for construction.
Lucas Primary School
O’Shannassy Parade, Lucas
Located in a growth area west of Ballarat, Lucas Primary School will be a new school for the area aimed at easing enrolment pressures and meeting future demand.
The new school will include state of the art general and specialist teaching spaces, administration areas and a performing arts and physical education building.
An appointment of a principal will be made soon so they can start recruiting and setting the direction of the school.
The 2017-18 State Budget allocated funding to buy the land and the current budget an extra $17.1 million for the build.
Armstrong Creek West Primary School
Unity Drive, Mt Duneed
In greater Geelong, Armstrong Creek is one of those new suburbs which has popped up between Geelong and Barwon Heads.
This school will cater for 475 students, helping ease enrolment pressures for surrounding schools and meeting the needs of a growing population.
The original primary school opened in 2018.
Keysborough South Primary School
Homeleigh Rd, Keysborough
This school will cater for 475 students, helping ease enrolment pressures for surrounding schools and meeting the needs of a growing population.
The 2016-17 State Budget allocated funding to buy land in this area for a new school. The school received an additional $18.9 million in the 2018-19 State Budget for construction.
Point Cook South Senior Secondary School
Homestead Road, Point Cook
A new senior secondary school in the Wyndham municipality.
The school will accommodate 1100 students from Years 10 to 12.
Additional funding to construct the school has been announced.
The 2017-18 State Budget allocated funding for the land and the current budget allocated $53 million for the build.
Saltwater P-9 College opened nearby at the start of the year.
Footscray Learning Precinct
*see listing below
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A $41.2m allocation has been made in the state budget for maintaining schools, including upgrades to schools in Beechworth, Geelong and Benalla.
An extra $101m has been set aside for the Relocatable Buildings program.
The state government will fund two new regional schools —Bass Coast junior SC and Armstrong Creek SC — and set aside money to acquire land for future schools in the Macedon Ranges and Wodonga.
SCHOOLS TO OPEN OR PLANNED FOR 2021
Docklands Primary School
Footscray Rd, Docklands
Early funding has been allocated for design of the proposed school which seeks to service a demand prompted by higher density living accompanying regeneration of the one time industrial area as a place to live and work.
It will have a capacity for 525 students
Stage one of the project will include a library, music and arts rooms, administration areas and outdoor learning terraces.
Community consultation garnered a high level of support for the new school.
Feedback called for a sustainable, vertical design to provide plenty of outdoor space for activity and vegetation.
There also was interest in a secondary school later on. The school will not just be for Docklands residents. Students are entitled to attend their closest school so it may draw students from the city and West Melbourne and others, subject to space. Once it is up and running there is potential for shared community spaces.
The site is regarded as having good walking, cycling and public transport connections.
Footscray Learning Precinct, Seddon Campus
Pilgrim St, Seddon
Part of a plan for a one-stop shop for all stages of education, serving the inner west.
The new junior secondary school campus will be built at Seddon.
There also will be some development works at Gilmore College (formerly a girls’ school) and Footscray City Primary School to provide for more enrolments. The two latter projects should be complete by first term 2020.
The Seddon campus is earmarked for 2021.
There will be two new year 7 and 8 campuses with designated neighbourhood boundaries. Enrolment boundaries are expected shortly.
The combined external boundary for the two year 7/8 campuses will determine the Year 10/12 campus boundary.
All Year 7 students will start at the Gilmore campus in 2020 with the Seddon campus to open in 2021 for Year 7/8.
Students living in the enrolment boundary for the Seddon campus will have the option to transfer.
The senior campus will be an upgraded Footscray City College.
By 2022, all year 7 and 8 students will be at Seddon or Gilmore and senior years at the Footscray City Secondary Campus.
There will be an executive principal and one school council overseeing all secondary campuses.
No existing children will be required to change uniform. There are information sessions on April 30 and May 2.
Armstrong Creek Secondary College
Batten Road, Armstrong Creek
The government has committed to moving Oberon High School to the Armstrong Creek Education Precinct in 2021.
Planning and design for the new school with the working title Armstrong Creek Secondary College is underway.
The college will be located in the precinct, next to the Armstrong Creek Primary School, a combined primary and specialist school.
The new college will accommodate 1100 students, which will help relieve enrolment pressures for surrounding schools and meet the demand of a booming population.
The relocation stemmed from a Department of Education and Training review to improve school provision in Geelong.
Pakenham Henry Road 7-12
Henry Rd, Pakenham
The government has bought land for the new school to service Pakenham/Officer areas southeast of Melbourne.
New school sites were identified following in-depth analysis of demographic data and enrolments at existing schools.
Cranbourne West Secondary School and Special School
Cranbourne West
In the 2018-19 State Budget, $271.7 million was allocated to schools across the state for land acquisition.
This includes funding for Cranbourne West Secondary and Special School.
Rockbank North Primary School
Timbertop Parade, Aintree
In the 2018-19 budget money was allocated to schools across the state for land acquisition. This includes funding for a proposed primary school in Rockbank, west of Melbourne on the Western Highway.
Community consultation has been undertaken to help shape the new school.
Eynesbury Station P-6
Melton
Funding has been provided in the 2017-18 State Budget to buy land in this growth area near Melton, about 35km from the city.
The new housing development currently has 3500 residents but is set to grow to with about 4500 residential lots to be developed.
The suburb is anchored by the historic Eynesbury homestead and home to a nationally significant grey box forest.
Edgars Creek Primary School
Macedon Parade, Wollert
A new Edgars Creek Secondary College opened last year to cater for the fast growing suburb, 27km north of Melbourne. The primary school is due to open in 2021.
Wollahra Primary School
Wyndham Vale , site to be confirmed
New school sites were identified following in-depth analysis of demographic data and enrolments at existing schools.
The government says that the new school will provide some certainty for families living in the fast growing west.
Greenvale North West P6
Blossom Drive and Greenvale Gardens Boulevard, Greenvale
Located 20km north of Melbourne, Greenvale is another of the growing suburbs in need of schools.
It has existing private and government schools, but the new Greenvale North West Primary School will meet demand.
Merrifield West Primary School
Mickleham site to be confirmed
The new school is proposed for the bustling suburb of Mickleham, which is another growth area north of Melbourne.
New school sites were identified following in-depth analysis of demographic data and enrolments at existing schools.
Over the past five years Mickleham has experienced large population growth, well up on the state average. There are two sites identified.
Truganina South East P6
Site to be confirmed
This school will seek to address the rapid growth of low density residential development in the west which has not been matched by transport and infrastructure.
SCHOOLS PLANNED FOR 2022
Fishermans Bend Secondary School
Graham St, Port Melbourne
The urban renewal of Fishermans Bend, which covers 480 hectares and five precincts across two municipalities, will be home to 80,000 residents and provide employment for 80,000 people by 2050.
A new secondary school is proposed as part of the development.
It will be housed in a vertical building.
The Victorian School Building Authority has been consulting with the community about the school design and requirements.
Clyde North 7-12 Secondary School
Site to be confirmed
Land has been acquired for this area which is home to new housing estates.
The Clyde North East primary school is due to open in 2020 and this school and another, Clyde North Primary School, is due to open in the same year.
Bass Coast Junior Secondary School
Site to be confirmed
Families across Phillip Island and San Remo will get greater access to secondary education with the new junior secondary campus.
Almost 500 students are travelling every day to Wonthaggi Secondary College from across areas such as Phillip Island, San Remo, Coronet Bay, Corinella and Grantville. This new campus will mean students have a new junior secondary school for years 7 and 8 closer to home.
Consultation is underway as to the site.
Clyde North Primary School
Site to be confirmed
This will be the third school in as many years for the fast growing Clyde North area.
McKinnon Secondary College New campus
East Village, Bentleigh East
The already bulging McKinnon Secondary College has more than 2000 students on its current site.
A separate campus is being established in part of an old industrial estate.
News of the new zone for the extended school will be hotly awaited.
It is still be decided but it is thought the campus may house Year 8/9 students.
McKinnon, in McKinnon Rd, is not a selective entry school but is among the highest achievers at VCE level.
Endeavour Hills Special School
Amalfi Drive, Endeavour Hills
Funding will be used to plan a new special school in Endeavour Hills.
It will be build on the site of the former Endeavour Hills Secondary College.
Bridge Rd Melton Primary School
Bridge Rd, Melton
The school is proposed as part of a larger regional project for the area which will co-locate a number of facilities.
Grasslands Primary School
Melton s ite to be confirmed
The Department of Education undertook community consultation last year to get a feel for what people wanted in a new school.
Gisborne South P6
Site to be confirmed
Located in the southern part of the Macedon Ranges, a 40 minute drive from Melbourne, the area is home to young families looking for educational options.
Fitzroy Gasworks new senior campus
Smith St, Fitzroy North
In the early days of the Kennett Government the nearby Fitzroy High School was closed along with 360 other schools.
Parents fought for it to re-open and succeeded. Over intervening years urban renewal has seen population growth and with it demand for a new senior campus to serve Collingwood College and Fitzroy High. The former Gasworks site is a major urban renewal project.
Wollert East Primary School
Site to be confirmed
Wollert East
Money has been allocated to acquire land in the fast growing area.
Greenvale 7-12
Barrymore Rd, Greenvale
Locals had been lobbying for many years for a secondary school for the growth area north of Melbourne. Good news came on the eve of the 2018 state election.
Kalkallo Common P6
Site to be confirmed
Kalkallo, 33km north of Melbourne, is another of the growth areas on Melbourne’s fringes.
A primary school is proposed near the nearly 10 hectare Kalkallo Common.
*Many of the names cited are interim names and may change.
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