Burke Ward Public School

This school’s Cooler Classrooms project is now complete, and the school is enjoying a healthier learning environment.

The $157.8 million LED Lighting Upgrade Program will install new LED lights in up to 1,000 public schools across NSW. This means reduced operating costs for schools and improved learning environments and outcomes for our students.

To ensure the safety, reliability and longevity of our schools, every school across NSW receives maintenance. The Department undertakes preventative and routine maintenance every year, and repairs as needed. The Department also reviews the planned maintenance program for each school every year and reviews those items that are predicted to require work to help prolong the life of the school buildings and facilities.

The $240 million Schools Renewal Program aims to accelerate projects that will improve the amenity of schools and kick start local jobs for local communities. This is a co-funded program, with each school contributing up to 50 per cent of the project cost.

Demountables have been part of the NSW education system for many decades and will continue to be used across the state. Demountable classrooms are modern, air-conditioned rooms that provide students and teaching staff with excellent quality facilities. The learning spaces have the same range of technology that is available in permanent spaces. 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 that need new demountables and schools where they can removed. Most demountable movement takes place between October and February and we report our annual demountable statistics each April. Additional demountable installations can occur outside this window to support capital works and maintenance projects in schools or emergency responses to natural disasters.