23 January 2017
2 min read
The Aura community is celebrating another first, with the Queensland Government and Stockland breaking ground on an innovative, new public primary school that will revolutionise the future of education in Queensland through a unique new form of community partnership.
The new primary school, catering to students from Preparatory to Year 6, will be located in Caloundra South. First enrolments will commence later this year for the start of the 2018 school year.
The school is part of a new collaborative concept between the Queensland Government and Stockland. It will see the development of state-of-the-art facilities made for learning, teaching and play, including a robotics lab, recording studio, innovation hub and an indoor sports and performance centre.
The new school will also have a strong focus on STEM learning (Science, Education, Engineering and Maths), to prepare the next generation of children for the jobs of the future.
Under this innovative model, the new primary school classrooms and associated facilities, such as auditoriums and sports fields, will be available for the entire community to use outside of school hours.
Kingsley Andrew, General Manager for Queensland at Stockland, said: “This is a once in a generation opportunity to create a leading education facility that will nurture young minds and develop the talents and skills of the coast’s children.
“Creating a multi-functional education, sporting and cultural environment that is a school by day and open for community use in the evenings and weekends, significantly enhances the return from this important community asset. This improves the quality and delivery of facilities, providing an enhanced learning experience for students, and broadening the number of services, courses and experiences that will be available to residents of Aura and the Sunshine Coast.”
The Hon. Kate Jones, Minister for Education and Minister for Tourism and Major Events attended today’s event to celebrate the milestone.
The innovative new school located at Baringa, the first suburb in Aura, will incorporate world-class urban design with 37 classrooms configured over two storeys, creating more space for learning and play and allowing for greater community engagement.
When it opens in January 2018, the school will educate up to 1,100 students drawn primarily from the surrounding Baringa, Bells Reach and Bellvista communities of Caloundra. The school is expected to employ more than 80 full time and part time staff, with recruitment to be undertaken by Education Queensland.
“This is a once in a generation opportunity to create a leading education facility that will nurture young minds and develop the talents and skills of the coast’s children."
- Kingsley Andrew, General Manager for Queensland Stockland