New primary school for Atwell

8/5/02
A second primary school will be built in the Perth suburb of Atwell for the start of the 2004 school year, Education Minister Alan Carpenter announced today.
Mr Carpenter said due to the continuing growth in the south Atwell area, south-east of Perth, a new school would be established to provide relief to Atwell Primary School.
The announcement has been welcomed by Southern River MLA Paul Andrews, who described it as exciting news for the rapidly growing local community.
Mr Carpenter said the new school, to be built in the south Atwell area at a cost of $5million, would include the latest technology infrastructure.

"The proposed site for the new school is across the road from housing sites in the first stage of a new development," he said.
"A four-classroom kindergarten in transportable buildings will open in February 2003 on this future school site, to accommodate the number of kindergarten students expected next year.
"This kindergarten unit will operate as an annex of the Atwell Primary School until the new school is built.
"Atwell Primary School opened in 1998 with 344 students, and the student enrolment has grown in successive years."
This year the school has 834 students including 140 kindergarten, 54 pre-primary and 640 primary students.
"In 2004, without relief, the enrolment at Atwell Primary School was expected to be about 1,080 students, of which about 300 students would be in kindergarten and pre-primary," Mr Carpenter said

"The current layout of Atwell Primary School's kindergarten and pre-primary areas does not allow for additional classrooms.

"The new school is expected to begin with an enrolment of 200 to 250 kindergarten to Year Seven students."
Mr Andrews said Atwell was one of Perth's fastest-growing areas, and he was delighted to see the Government acknowledging and responding to the need for increased services.
Today's is the third announcement of a new school in the past week.
Yesterday, Mr Carpenter announced a 'school in shops' at Brighton in Perth's northern suburbs, to open next year.
Last Friday he announced a school for the Aboriginal community of Yalga Jinna, north-west of Meekatharra, also to open next year.
Minister's office: 9213 6800