Massive expansion set to bring hundreds of students to booming private school

A $16m expansion was given the green light for a private school in Melbourne’s west.

An artist's impression of the new state-of-the-art facility to be built at Bacchus Marsh Grammar in 2023. Picture: Supplied

A $16m expansion at a private school in Melbourne’s west given the green light by the state government will create an extra 700 enrolments.

Bacchus Marsh Grammar (BMG) is set to break ground on extending its Woodlea campus early next year.

The three-storey expansion will include a state-of-the-art science centre, library and a host of classrooms to allow students between year 9 and year 12 to study at the newly built school.

Communal student spaces, enhanced performance areas and expanded grounds are also part of the upgrade.

BMG’s early learning centre will also boost its capacity from 100 to 150 children.

Believed to already be the biggest independent school in western Victoria, the build will bring the total number of enrolments to 1750 students in the coming years.

An artist's impression of the new state-of-the-art facility to be built at Bacchus Marsh Grammar in 2023. Picture: Supplied

The Frontier Ave campus in Aintree, located 45km west of Melbourne’s CBD, opened in 2019, and currently offers enrolments for about 1000 students from preschool to year 8.

Details about the developments at BMG come after the Herald Sun last month revealed that more than 30 private school improvements had been fast-tracked by the state government this year, with dozens more waiting to be approved.

The influx of independent school expansion plans follows changes to state laws made in 2018 to ensure plans were not held up by administrative processes with local councils or VCAT.

BMG principal Andrew Neal said expanding the campus would offer students additional facilities that the local community could also use.

The Bacchus Marsh Grammar build will bring the total number of enrolments to 1750 students.

“A strong foundational tuition, a raft of experiences and a senior program with a strong focus on outcomes provides more choice for quality education, and helps us allow important community citizens to assist numerous local groups and sporting clubs with the communal

use of facilities,” he said.

Woodlea Acting Project Director Charbel Youssef said it will allow students to complete their whole education at one school.

“The Woodlea community is growing and establishing at an unprecedented rate, and this expansion will provide students with an end to end quality Bacchus Marsh Grammar education, all within the one campus,” he said.

BMG has accumulated $39,947,301 in capital funds in the past three years and charges $12,574 in tuition fees for year 12 students.

The school’s campuses are split across two locations – its Maddingley campus in Bacchus Marsh and Woodlea Campus in Aintree.