A new Catholic school, earmarked for the Sunshine Coast’s fastest-growing community, is already attracting plenty of attention from prospective families, without a brick being laid.
A spokesperson said Brisbane Catholic Education (BCE) was pleased to report great interest from the community, with about 300 initial expressions of interest received in the eventual Prep to Year 12 Catholic co-educational school.
Notre Dame College will join BCE’s 146 schools across South-East Queensland and offer enrolment relief for nearby Unity College.
In French, Notre Dame means ‘Our Lady’, named for the nearby Caloundra parish, Our Lady of the Rosary.
“This interest is testament to the growth in this community seeking a Catholic education for their children,” the spokesperson said.
“The school will open to students in Prep to Year 3 and Year 7 in the first year, growing progressively each year.”
The spokesperson said Brisbane Catholic Education was focused on delivering an exceptional college with a revised opening date of 2025.
A prime 7.89-hectare site had been selected south of Aura Boulevard, in the Caloundra South (Aura) suburb of Nirimba.
They said master planning for Notre Dame College had been completed, with Stage 1 currently being refined.
It was announced in February last year that Architectus (which, in association with HDR, designed the Sunshine Coast University Hospital for Queensland Health) had been engaged for the project.
Once fininshed, the P-12 school will host 1900 students.
It is expected Notre Dame College will offer additional education options for Sunshine Coast communities, in particular with the significant population increase within the Aura development.
“Student enrolment in the nearby BCE P-12 school Unity College is 1460, with Notre Dame College supporting the growth of this growing community,” the spokesperson said.
Families can register their interest in Notre Dame College and receive updates on a special form.
BCE acting director Doug Ashleigh told Sunshine Coast News in March last year, after travelling to the site for the special announcement of the location, that work was continuing behind the scenes with “our planners and our funding bodies”.
“This is a priority school, and we will be moving on it as quickly as we can, starting with our Prep and Year 7 students, and building the school up from there,” Dr Ashleigh said.
Father Josh Whitehead, the priest appointed to the Aura Catholic community, said at the time that the opportunity to provide both a top-quality Catholic education and a sense of belonging and community for families existed within new areas.
“Our dream is to create an inclusive Catholic community moving into the 21st century where it’s OK to be where people are at in their faith journey and build a new culture on this greenfield site,” he said.
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