A north shore public high school in Crows Nest, where 3255 new homes are earmarked to be built around the suburb’s railway station, is full just 10 years after opening and it will refuse applications from students in its catchment.
Instead, all new students from years 7 to 12 “will be redirected to enrol at Mosman High School” after the Department of Education declared Cammeraygal High School could not take new students.
At the same time, Crows Nest has been identified as a location for one of the NSW Labor government’s transport-oriented developments, under which 3255 homes will be built within the St Leonards Centre and along the spine of the Pacific Highway to the Crows Nest metro rail station.
Cammeraygal High School opened 10 years ago and it is already full. Credit: Facebook
Cammeraygal High School opened in 2015 on the site of the former Bradfield College. It added a senior college on the former Crows Nest TAFE site in 2019 in a bid to meet growing demand for public school options on the lower north shore. Its first year 12 cohort graduated in 2020.
The school had 908 students enrolled in 2024, below its cap of 1020, but it has had a 13 per cent increase in enrolments since 2023. Mosman High had 988 students, below its cap of 1280.
According to the school’s revised enrolment policy published on its website, “changes were required to manage enrolment demand at Cammeraygal High School beyond the school’s capacity to suitably accommodate additional students.
“The new arrangements apply for all new local enrolments for Cammeraygal High School for Years 7 to 12. Mosman High School is now designated as a local high school for all students in the Cammeraygal High School intake area.”
David Hope, from the Northern Sydney District Council of P&C Associations, said the education department had improved its planning for new schools in recent years, but it would need to be “innovative” in its thinking to meet increased demand from the government’s housing push.
“The government have some sites that are possibilities to build schools. They have also identified areas around the station for high-rise development, but for that to work, the state government will need integrated development that includes community facilities,” Hope said.
A NSW government spokesman said Labor was “investing in schools across this local area, including delivering additional school capacity for new students. School intake areas are also regularly reviewed to meet the needs of changing populations.
“Both Mosman High School and Cammeraygal High School are high-achieving schools that have strong reputations in the community.”
Mosman High’s intake area was recently expanded to take more students, and an expansion of the school at the beginning of 2024 allowed for increased capacity.
The Minns government needs to build 377,000 new homes in the next five years and has unveiled sweeping planning reforms to reach those targets.
The opposition has repeatedly criticised the Minns government for embarking on ambitious housing plans without planning for key infrastructure, such as new schools.
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