Maroubra’s Corpus Christi College, formerly known as Champagnat Catholic College, plans to increase the student and staff population within five years, following the relocation of its primary school.
Our Lady of the Annunciation, the primary school, bid farewell to its old site and moved to a nearby Catholic campus, leaving behind a property with immense potential.
Corpus Christi College seized this opportunity by lodging a DA/689/2023 with Randwick Council, detailing a bold vision that aimed to reshape their destiny.
In partnership with Sydney Catholic Schools, the college wants to expand the secondary school into the vacated primary school campus, encompassing Blocks A, B, and C, which had lain dormant for some time.
The college has a previously approved application to redevelop one of the blocks via DA/249/2020.
The proposal outlines an ambitious target – a goal to increase the student population by a staggering 400 pupils over the next five years.
As the 2023 academic year dawned, the school stood at a student population of approximately 650. They envisioned a steady progression, with an expected 1,100 students gracing their halls in the years to come. Naturally, this growth would necessitate the recruitment of 20 additional staff members to support the burgeoning student body.
In their application, Corpus Christi College championed the positive social impacts of their proposed expansion. They emphasized that schools were not merely institutions of learning but vital components of thriving communities. The accessibility of the campus would extend its reach to a broader section of the community.
“Schools are a vital part of any healthy and thriving community and the increase in the student and staff cap would allow the school to function as an important civic place for parents, teachers and students,” the planners outlined.
“The proposal to increase staff and student numbers would support the upgrades to school facilities under DA/249/2020 and would allow access to better student outcomes through the provision of a quality learning environment for broader section of the community.
“The proposed development would provide short term and long-term economic benefits. In the short term the proposal would support the creation of additional full-time employment gradually offsetting the loss in full time employment created by the relocation of the primary school campus.
“Long term, the productivity and growth as a result of student’s continuing education would drive better labour market outcomes by supporting students as they acquire formal education allowing them to remain employed and learn new skills in the future.”
Published 29-Sept-2023
