Cloverdale to have state-of-art primary school

13/11/96

A $3.5 million state-of-the-art new primary school, complete with specialised computer, communications and technology facilities, will be built in Cloverdale to replace the Cloverdale and Whiteside primary schools.

Education Minister Colin Barnett said today that the new school would be built on the current site of Cloverdale Primary School and would be ready during the 1998 school year.

The announcement comes after more than two years of discussions with school staff, parents, Belmont City Council and the Education Department and follows his visit to Whiteside Primary School earlier this year.

Mr Barnett said he was confident that the new school would be warmly welcomed by parents and the school community, as well as the Belmont City Council, which favoured the Cloverdale school site ahead of a proposal to build on the nearby A Class reserve, Miles Park.

"At the end of 1995, the parents of students at both Cloverdale and Whiteside schools voted to close their schools on the condition that a new school was built at Miles Park," Mr Barnett said.

"However, after extensive consultation with the community, Belmont City Council decided against the proposal in the belief that there was no broad support for the Miles Park site.

"It was then proposed that Cloverdale Primary School undergo a major upgrade to accommodate the students of both schools. However, I believe a completely new school makes more sense in this instance and I am sure will be the best outcome for students, parents and teachers in the Cloverdale and Whiteside areas."

Mr Barnett said the Whiteside school site was well within the Guildford Airport noise 'envelope' and was clearly affected by both noise and air pollution. He said the Cloverdale site was more central and closer to other amenities in the City of Belmont.

By combining the two schools, the Education Department would be able to provide major educational benefits for the students.

The new school wouldbe established as a 'lighthouse' school in the area of technology and enterprise, with specialised equipment and curriculum.

Computers and electronic links would be provided, with the capability of Internet links to every classroom. A satellite dish and decoder to enable students to have access to specialist educational programs through the State Government's Westlink interactive television service would also be installed.

The new school would also have all the standard facilities of a primary school on the threshold of the 21st century, including a double-unit pre-primary centre and an education support centre for students with disabilities, in addition to general classrooms. It would include a library/resource centre, rooms for art/craft and music, a covered assembly area, a canteen and sports store and an administration block.

Mr Barnett said the state-of-the-art facilities went far beyond what the two separate schools could have provided because of their limited size.

Both Cloverdale and Whiteside had declining student enrolments over the past few years and projections indicate this was likely to continue. Cloverdale Primary School currently had 219 students and Whiteside Primary School 153 students.

Mr Barnett said that through the amalgamation of both schools, students would have access to a range of major educational opportunities.

"Planning for the new school will begin immediately," Mr Barnett said.

"Both school communities will be consulted about the siting of the new school and facilities, and where and how the students of the combined school will be housed while construction of the new buildings is under way.

"The parents might elect to have a new name for the school and, if so, this will be selected in consultation with both school communities."

Mr Barnett paid tribute to the parents and staff at both schools for the manner in which they had co-operated in investigating all the educational options for their children over the past two years.

"This spirit of co-operation provides a foundation for the future new school," he said.

The Minister said the construction of the new school and its specialist facilities would be financed by the sale of the Whiteside school site and surplus Education Department land at the Cloverdale site, an allocation of funds for previously planned upgraded facilities at Cloverdale and from the Department's capital works budget.

Media contact: Justine Whittome (09) 222 9699