Another Rolleston primary school one step closer, but what about another high school?

Wednesday, 30 October 2024

Selwyn’s population is increasing, so how are educational facilities keeping up with demand?

Rolleston’s next primary school is one step closer to alleviating pressure on other schools in the rapidly growing district, but there are still no plans for more high school space.

The Selwyn District Council last week gave the Government the green light to start work on Te Rau Horopito, previously named Rolleston South Primary School, to be built between Rolleston West and Lemonwood Grove schools.

The school, scheduled to open in January 2026, will have capacity for 250 pupils initially and eventually up to 1000.

The site of the new primary school Te Rau Horopito in Rolleston is on the corner of Harrison Drive and Arbor Green Blvd, off Dunns Crossing Rd.

The site would have capacity for an early childhood centre and a health school for students with significant health needs, but there were no plans to develop those facilities yet, said Nancy Bell, Ministry of Education Te Tai Runga (south) hautū (leader).

Space for intermediate technology education, such as woodwork and cooking classes, had been green lit, she said.

“Currently some local schools are accessing technology provision outside of the area due to insufficient capacity, which the new site will help to address in the future.”

Te Rau Horopito would alleviate pressure at nearby Lemonwood Grove School, and the planned second campus of Rolleston College would address the growing number of high school students, Bell said.

There were 2350 school-aged children in Selwyn in 2023, according to Education Ministry records. About 8300 were pupils enrolled in primary schools.

The district’s four high schools - Rolleston College, Darfield High School, Ellesmere College and Lincoln High School - serviced almost 4200 students in 2023.

If pupils wanted to complete their secondary schooling in Selwyn, the high schools would have to double their capacity just to keep up with current demand.

Rolleston College principal Rachel Skelton looks over the site where the school’s second campus is pitched to be built. (File photo)

Rolleston High’s second campus was scheduled to support up to 2200 students and be delivered by 2025, but it was stripped back to portacabins and the first stage of the build was delayed by a year. The delivery of the second and third stages is uncertain.

In the next 10 years, Selwyn’s population is expected to grow from 86,000 to 109,000, with Rolleston alone forecast to grow 26%, from 31,400 to 39,600, according the the council’s long-term plan.

Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton said in the next 15 years, at least 3500 of the increased population were expected to be under 24, so access to schools was important.

Selwyn mayor Sam Broughton, left, says work needs to be done to support young people’s education in the district. (File photo)

“We have wonderful schools across Selwyn and it’s really positive to see the ministry responding with another primary school for our community,” he said.

“Beyond primary school spaces the proper funding of the Rolleston College second campus needs to be fully delivered.

“I have met with school principals in Rolleston and in Lincoln with Ministry of Education officials to ensure clarity of our growth pressures to ensure continued strategic investment.”

Broughton said he was working with local MP Nicola Grigg to ensure Education Minister Erica Stanford understood the district’s needs.

Grigg said she was looking forward to the minister visiting the region to advocate for increased capacity in schools to accommodate Selwyn’s growth.

However, when asked by The Press what plans were in place to assist with the increasing need for secondary educational facilities, Stanford said she had “nothing further to add” since her announcement of the Te Rau Horopito project in July.