Ellenbrook school to use 7 houses until permanent school viable

30/1/96

An innovative approach in providing school facilities will open at Woodlake Village, Ellenbrook, today.

On the first day of school for more than 250,000 Government students, Education Minister Colin Barnett said the new school in the growing subdivision of Ellenbrook would become a showcase for future school planning.

Mr Barnett said that as a part of the development of the subdivision, seven houses had been built which would be used as a primary school until the area was populated enough to support a permanent school.

The Minister said that while the Ellenbrook Primary School would initially start with a small enrolment (50 students), as many as 250 students were expected to attend the school within two years.

Mr Barnett said some of the houses were built without some internal walls to enable 'classroom' sized areas. These houses would be later developed as residences when a school was provided.

In addition to classrooms, facilities for pre-primary groups, library, art, administration and staff areas had been provided.

The Minister said the interim 'school in houses' project at Ellenbrook, modelled on a successful Adelaide project, represented a new style of building strategy for the Education Department.

"One of the prime benefits will be that the community will be provided with neighbourhood schooling well before a new school could be justified," Mr Barnett said.

"The community will also have full use of all of the facilities provided and local residents and parents have been involved in its development."

The Minister said it was believed, pending the rate of residential development at Ellenbrook, that permanent school buildings could be constructed near the village centre in about three years.

Other new schools to open their doors for the first time today are Port Kennedy Primary School, Singleton Primary School and Warnbro Community High School.

Clarkson Community High School will open with temporary facilities at Craigie Senior High School.

The new Picton Primary School, currently under construction, is due to be completed for term two.  At present it remains at the historic Picton school.

O'Connor Primary School, due for completion in second term, will initially operate from the Boulder Primary School site.

Three new Education Support Centres (Jandakot, O'Connor and Leeming) and the Morawa Agricultural College also opened for the first time today.

Mr Barnett said two new primary schools - to be called Little Grove (in Albany) and Currambine - would also be built this year as a part of the Education Department's current capital works program.

Media contact:  Carolyn Vicars 222 9699