Bendigo schools turn students away as city booms, enrolments rise

Bendigo's Girton Grammar School has made the decision to keep classroom numbers smaller despite an increased interest in enrolment.

Spring Gully Primary School is another turning away prospective students as the region's schools look for solutions to cater for growing numbers in the region.

Girton Grammar School principal Dr Emma O'Rielly said the school had received high demand for its early primary years and Year 7.

"While we welcome enrolment enquiries for every year level, we are at or close to capacity in some year levels," she said.

"There is a limit to how many classes we can provide, meaning we occasionally do need to cease accepting enrolments for certain year levels.

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"We strive to provide an environment where every student is known and cared for, with class sizes kept as small as possible to ensure students are given the support they need throughout their educational journey."

Bendigo's government primary schools have seen a 7.8 per cent increase in student numbers between 2016 and 2021, according to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

Catholic primary schools have also seen an increase over those years, with 17.5 per cent more students attending.

The issue of potential students missing out on places at Bendigo schools due to high enrolment numbers is not a new one for some.

Spring Gully Primary School principal Francis Tresize said his school had "always had high (enrolment) numbers" so had therefore been managing this for "many years".

"The department (of education) won't put any more students on our grounds after we reach the maximum number," he said.

"We always have families that miss a place at Spring Gully, but they're not families that live in our guaranteed enrolment area."

Mr Tresize said while it was hard turning families away, it was important to support the school community first.

"But we're also very supportive of all the schools in Bendigo," he said.

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"Every time a family contacts our school, I always talk about how Bendigo is very lucky to have so many good schools."

Catholic Education Sandhurst director Paul Desmond said Catholic schools in the region were in the same boat.

"All of our schools are experiencing a period of growth," he said.

"We've kept the enrolment period open longer because of the number of inquiries we're receiving from parents.

"There are a couple of our schools that are registered as full, but most still have one or two places available at each year level for 2024.

"The reason this is happening is because, not just Catholic schools, but Bendigo is blessed with a range of really good schools.

"The way I look at it, people in this region are certainly in a very good space."

Mr Desmond said so many parents choosing to apply for Catholic schools was more of a positive than a negative.

"If people want your school for their children, and keep in mind their children are the most prized thing in the world, I think parents choose really thoughtfully and really carefully when deciding where to send them.

"It's a bit of a buzz when they choose a Catholic school and I'm sure it would be the same for independent and government schools."

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Mr Desmond said it hasn't stopped the organisation from planning ahead.

"We know in the next couple of years, we've got to build at Huntly," he said.

"We have land in other parts of Bendigo that we've bought in the last 10 to 15 years because we knew that was where the population was heading.

"Since COVID-19, the population of Bendigo has grown and along with that the population of Catholic schools has grown."

Have your children or someone you know missed out on a spot at school? Tell us your story by emailing alex.gretgrix@austcommunitymedia.com.au.

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