New public preschool in Wirlinga (Albury)

The proposed name of the new primary school and preschool will be developed in line with the Naming of NSW Government Schools Policy and Procedures and involve consultation with the community before a name is proposed to the Geographical Naming Board and to the Minister for Education.

The Albury Thurgoona new primary school will be a co-educational primary school co-located with a public preschool, taking student enrolments from the local intake area.

The year groups in place at school opening are to be determined. As with intake area changes, this will typically take place around 12 months before the new school opens to ensure the community is well informed in advance of enrolment periods and so the school can prepare for anticipated student numbers

The primary school is being developed to cater for the growing population in the Albury Thurgoona community. The intake area (sometimes referred to as the school catchment) will be confirmed closer to the school opening. It will be based on the most up to date demographic data on the number of school aged children living in the local area at the time the school opens, along with consideration of suitable active and public transport options and enrolment trends at surrounding schools. Intake area boundaries are updated regularly to ensure every child in NSW has a well-resourced local public school to attend. Adjustments are made to accommodate a new school into a local network and this typically takes place around 12 months before the new school opens. This ensures the community is well informed in advance of enrolment periods and the school can prepare for anticipated student numbers.

As the project progresses, information will be shared with the community to prepare for the opening and operations of the new school. Information will include the development of a school vision, plans for the future and the new school identity (motto, colours, uniform).

The Principal will be appointed 12 months before the opening of the school. After the appointment of the Principal, some leadership positions will be advertised. The remaining teaching positions at the school will be advertised as per normal staffing vacancies once enrolment numbers are determined.

The new school will be built on a large 3-hectare site with open play space, including a full-sized sports field. At opening, the school will be able to accommodate more than 400 primary school students and the preschool will accommodate up to 60 children a day.

The school will have a three-storey classroom building which will maximise open playground space within the site. This is in addition to a double-storey administration and library building, and two single-storey buildings for the school hall and co-located public preschool

No, a child who is already enrolled in a school does not have to move to a new school if they fall into the catchment area of that new school. Once a student is enrolled in a school, they can generally continue attending that school regardless of changes in catchment areas. However, parents and guardians can choose to transfer their child to the new school if they prefer.

The standard design has provisions for OOSH space in the hall. Further details about OOSH provision will be confirmed once the principal has been appointed. We will communicate further updates with the community closer to the school’s opening.

We review school accommodation needs each year, looking at changing enrolment patterns and other factors to prepare for the upcoming school year. This helps to identify schools where demountables are no longer needed and can be removed.

Traffic elements have been planned based on operational requirement for the new school and observations of travel behaviour at other Public Schools. The traffic elements include 3 bay bus stops, kiss & drop bays, short stay spaces, pedestrian and cycle path. These plans will be shared with the community when the project is on public exhibition through the planning approval.

The Department of Education promotes sustainable travel opportunities, and the project includes several measures to support this, including:

• Bus Facilities

• Kiss n Ride; and

• Short-term temporary parking.

No. There are neighbouring properties south of the site with setback of at least 50m. Shadow diagrams prepared confirm no shadowing impact to these properties given the setback distance.

Yes. The planning approval pathway for this project is via a Review of Environmental Factors (REF), which assesses the likely impacts of the proposed project. The planning application will be placed on public exhibition in mid 2025, which will give the community an opportunity to look at the plans and provide feedback. We will be providing more information to the community once the REF is on exhibition.

The new public preschool will open on Day 1 Term 1 2027.

The new primary school will open on Day 1 Term 1 2028.

Enrolment for the public preschool is expected to open in mid 2026, approximately 6 months before the preschool opening date providing families with time to secure placements ahead of the preschool's opening. 

Children enrolling in the preschool program in 2027 will be the very first cohort to transition into Kindergarten in the new primary school in 2028. This transition will foster a strong foundation for their learning and support their connection to their learning environment.

Enrolments for the primary school will open after the catchment area has been confirmed. This is expected to be around 12 months before the new school opens. We will keep the community updated as the project progresses.

The public preschool will open sooner in 2027 to provide access to quality early learning whilst the construction of the new primary school is completed and opens in 2028.

The public preschool will be operational while the primary school construction is completed. The

preschool is designed as a self-contained area with its own dedicated access and parking, ensuring that it is safe and can function independently.

A thorough site selection process was undertaken to ensure the site of the new school is in the most suitable location for students and the community. This included assessing various factors, including environmental considerations such as biodiversity.

These investigations showed that the Sloane’s Froglet, an endangered species, is confirmed in the area. This discovery required a careful evaluation of potential impacts on this species as part of our site selection process.