Ogilvie and New Town high schools amalgamating from 2022

Two single-sex Hobart high schools will start their amalgamation into one co-educational school from next year. LATEST ON THE MERGER PLAN >>

• Plans for new high school still in the works
• Views sought on Hobart high schooling
• Hobart is the only capital without a public co-ed high school

OGILVIE and New Town high schools will amalgamate over two campuses next year as the Hobart City Partner Schools model gets underway.

New plans released by the Department of Education detail the way forward for the scheme, which is aimed at improving education outcomes, supporting pathways for greater Hobart students and addressing enrolment pressures.

Discussions around a new inner-city high school have been ongoing for some time.

In 2017, the state government announced it was considering a new central Hobart high school due to the “massive growth” of inner-city schools such as Taroona.

New Town High School Grade 7 student Stanley Foster, 13, and Ogilvie High School Grade 8 student Kate Figgel, 14. The two school are preparing to amalgamate in 2022. Picture: Zak Simmonds

Last year, Education Minister Jeremy Rockliff announced the government was seeking community feedback on the scheme to see if there was support for increasing co-education opportunities at Ogilvie and New Town.

Deputy learning secretary Trudy Pearce said steady progress was now being made, with Ogilvie, New Town and Elizabeth College working with staff, students and the combined School Association Reference Group to develop the preferred co-education delivery model.

In 2022, all Grade 7 students will attend the Ogilvie campus in co-ed classes.

Grade 8 to 10 girls will remain at the Ogilvie campus while the boys will stay at New Town.

Some co-ed classes will be offered across the Ogilvie and New Town campuses.

Elizabeth College will remain a separate school, but will maintain all Grade 11 and 12 subjects provided at the new high school.

New Town High School. Picture: Eddie Safarik

In 2023, full co-education will be delivered at Ogilvie and New Town, with Grade 7 and 8 students in a middle school at the Ogilvie campus, with Grade 9 and 10 students and some Grade 11 and 12 students at the New Town campus.

In 2024, Grades 7 to 10 will be consolidated at the new school and a review of the model will be undertaken.

“Following the review, in 2025, the model will either remain the same, or it will transition to the next phase, which would see the new school and Elizabeth College amalgamate to become one school with three campuses,” Ms Pearce said.

Ms Pearce said the Partner Schools would continue to work closely and seek input from their communities and stakeholders to help co-construct the new model and bring the new school to fruition.

“Planning is already underway on a range of project areas such as developing a wellbeing and support model for staff and students, building a common instructional model, along with developing key branding elements such as the school name and what the school uniforms will look like,” she said.

“Stakeholder input will be invaluable as this work progresses.”

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