Question On Notice No. 458 asked in the Legislative Council on 31 October 2017 by Hon Alison Xamon
Question Directed to the: Minister for Education and Training
Parliament: 40 Session: 1
Question
I refer to the current 600-student capacity of the International School of Western Australia (ISWA) and their publicly stated expectation that their capacity will remain at 600 after the move to the Doubleview Primary School site as per the Government’s decision to provide a like-for-like facility, and I ask:
(a) why did the development proposal and associated traffic management plan that went before Metro North-West Joint Development Assessment Panel only have a 350-student capacity;
(b) has, or will, the Department of Education require student numbers at ISWA to be kept to 350 or fewer;
(c) will the Department of Education construct, or contribute financially to the construction of additional buildings should ISWA enrolments go over 350 students; and
(d) will the Department of Education review their advice regarding the appropriateness of the size of the Doubleview Primary School site for the proposed site-sharing arrangement in the light of an ISWA capacity of 600 students?
Answered on 5 December 2017
(a) – (b)
The International School of Western Australia (ISWA) facilities are being developed on a like-for-like basis with the current City Beach facilities which provides for a capacity of 350 students based on the school’s current classroom structure. If City Beach were to operate as a public school, the Department of Education would assess its capacity as between 550 and 600 based on Department class sizes. However, ISWA differentiates itself with its curricula and smaller classes. Based on its current practice, the facilities have an assessed capacity of 350 students. The traffic management study and development application are based on providing capacity for 350 students.
ISWA aspires to grow and has been reported in the media as wanting to be a school of 600. To achieve this (and to maintain its current class structures), it would need to provide additional facilities. Any further development would be subject to a separate development application process.
(c) No.
(d) No