REVEALED: Schools with fastest growth

An analysis of federal government data has revealed the Gladstone region schools where student numbers have risen the most in the past five years.

Shalom Mangweza and Georgia Kurtz are part of the growing cohort at Trinity College Gladstone.

GROWING student numbers are the result of good “word of mouth”, according to Trinity College’s principal.

Between 2013 and 2018, enrolment at Trinity College increased 132.2 per cent, faster than any other school in the region, according to the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority.

According to the latest public data that includes public and private schools, student numbers increased from 211 to 490 — the fastest growth in the region.

Principal Stephen Babbage said he anticipated the P-12 school would have more than 500 enrolments next year.

He added that the closure of St Stephen’s Lutheran College in 2016 resulted in an influx of students starting at Trinity College.

“Trinity College ended up with about an extra 80 enrolments,” Mr Babbage said.

“We are everything that private schooling represents in Gladstone, and there’s a demand for that.”

He said about 90 per cent of the school’s enrolments were due to “word of mouth”.

“We’ve just made a decision to have three Prep classes for 2020,” he said.

Mr Babbage said to keep up with growing numbers, the school had invested in two new buildings.

Following Trinity College, the second fastest growing school was Gladstone Central State School, where the student body increased 57.2 per cent between 2013 and 2018. Enrolment numbers grew from 226 in 2013 to 356 in 2018.

In those five years, Calliope State School had the third biggest enrolment boom in the area, with 192 more students at the school in 2018 than in 2013 — an increase of 40.2 per cent.

The Queensland Department of Education has been contacted for comment.

Shalom Mangweza and Georgia Kurtz (front) Lize Kolesky and Timothy Ellis are part of the growing cohort at Trinity College Gladstone.