A new public high school planned for Flinders will provide modern classrooms, specialist learning spaces and community facilities for up to 750 students.
Illawarra families are getting their first look at the new high school in Flinders, as the Minns Labor Government unveils designs ahead of the school opening its doors to students on Day 1, Term 1, 2029.
To be built next to Flinders Public School, and with space for 750 students, this will be the first public high school built in the Shellharbour electorate in 55 years.
Designed to ease pressure on nearby Warilla High School and meet local growth, the new school will include 33 modern classrooms and three support classrooms.
It will also include specialist workshops for science, woodwork, and metalwork, a covered outdoor learning area, a multipurpose hall for sports and school performances, a playing field, and a library.
Families can learn more about the new school during a community information session on Tuesday, 28 July, from 3:15 pm to 5:30 pm, at Flinders Public School.
This project builds on the 2023 election commitment made by the Minns Labor Government and the Member for Shellharbour, Anna Watson, to begin planning for a new high school in Flinders.
The Minns Labor Government will invest $2.3 billion in school infrastructure for regional NSW over the next four years, delivering new and upgraded schools to ensure every family has access to a world-class public education.
More than $220 million has already been invested in new school infrastructure in Shellharbour with construction underway on co-located public early learning at Barrack Heights and Lake Illawarra South Public Schools and work beginning, next year, on a new public school with co-located public early learning for West Dapto.
With the Flinders and Shell Cove communities set to grow by more than 1,500 homes over the next 15 years, this ensures families will have access to a world-class education, close to home.
In addition to ensuring students have modern classrooms and schools, the Minns Labor Government has transitioned more than 25,000 teachers and school support staff from uncertain temporary contracts to permanent employment.
This follows the Minns Labor Government's move to abolish the Liberals and Nationals wages cap, delivering NSW teachers the biggest pay rise in a generation.
This reform is attracting teachers into public schools and helping retain those already there, with teacher vacancies at a 12-year low and the number of merged and cancelled classes in NSW halving since the election of the Minns Labor Government.
Deputy Premier of New South Wales and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
"For too long, Shellharbour families have watched new houses go up without a new local high school, and now that high school is exactly what the Minns Labor Government is delivering.
"We've not just delivered on our promise to plan for a new high school in Flinders, we've fully funded this project, ensuring it can open its doors for students on Day 1, Term 1, 2029.
"This will be the first public high school built in the Shellharbour electorate in more than half a century, and the first public school built in the area in over two decades.
"The Minns Labor Government is working to ensure every family has access to a world-class public education, close to home."
Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said:
"The Illawarra is a growing region, and communities like Flinders have been crying out for the essential services they need to keep up with that growth.
"This new high school in Flinders will mean hundreds of families will have access to a world-class education right at their doorstep.
"We are investing in the services families and communities in the Illawarra need, from new schools and hospitals to roads and public spaces."
Member for Shellharbour Anna Watson said:
"As one of the fastest growing areas in NSW, the new high school for Flinders is not just what local families deserve, it's what we need.
"Being built right next door to Flinders Public School means local children can start and finish their entire school journey on the same site, close to home.
"I'm proud to be part of a Labor Government that has kept its promise to plan and deliver a brand-new high school for our growing community."
Principal of Flinders Public School Greg Wells said:
"'I'm thrilled with the announcement of the new high school being located beside our primary school.
"This outstanding investment will benefit both our students and the broader community by providing a seamless transition from primary to secondary school.
"We look forward to collaborating with the new high school to ensure our students achieve their full potential and contribute meaningfully to the broader community."
