King's Baptist Grammar School have marked an important milestone for their Adelaide Hills Campus, officially enrolling the first students of the new Mount Barker school. Future students, Nathan and Abigail Akinloye will be of the first to experience the new state-of-the-art facility, set to open next year.
Parents Lola and Abbi celebrated the significant moment in the school's history alongside Enrolment Officer, Kylie Winterfield.
"We were overwhelmed with joy," Mr and Mrs Akinloye said. "The values of King's align with our values perfectly."
The family chose the new school because of the "Christian values in King's' educational system."
"We are a people of faith", Mr and Mrs Akinloye continued, "and we want a school environment where there will be a continuation of the Christian values in the foundation of our children."
Another deciding factor was the school's strong academic record.
"We are a very academic family," Mr and Mrs Akinloye added. "We appreciate academic excellence, and our monitoring of the academic achievement records of King's [Wynn Vale Campus] over the last three years has been outstanding."
Mrs Winterfield, who has been speaking with Mount Barker families since applications opened on 1st June, acknowledged the special relationship between the Akinloye family and the growing King's Community.
"We love the Akinloyes' heart for people and their genuine excitement around the coming together of children, their families and the wider community."
Lola and Abbi, who had initially been accepted into the school's flagship Wynn Vale Campus, were attracted to the community feel of King's; one of "loving, togetherness," and "inclusiveness".
"In 2020, our circumstances changed and we had to relocate to Mount Barker," the family shared. Mr and Mrs Akinloye added they thought they "had lost the opportunity for our children to attend King's Baptist."
The development of the new Adelaide Hills Campus reconnected the Akinloye family to the King's Community.
"King's Baptist found us again."
The phone call informing of Nathan and Abigail's successful application was "a God moment" for the family, Mr and Mrs Akinloye said.
"This indeed is a divine connection. Obviously, the hand of God is in our connection with King's Baptist."
Nathan and Abigail are the first of approximately 120 students who will make up the founding cohort of the Adelaide Hills school. Additional places for ELC and Reception-Year 2 will be offered over the coming months, with the school expected to reach its full 2023 capacity in mid-2022.
"It is a special time for our founding families as they excitedly count down and prepare for our opening," Mrs Winterfield added, "whilst we continue to fill enrolments and establish partnerships in this process."
King's Baptist Grammar School – Adelaide Hills Campus will open in January of 2023 on Bollen Road in Mount Barker, in partnership with the Newenham Estate. F
