Ipswich West Special School has experienced growth of 140% in the last 5 years and the existing 1.8-hectare site that is currently shared between Ipswich West Special School and Ipswich West State School is not big enough to accommodate the predicted future growth.
The existing site has limited green space and is listed on the Queensland Heritage Register with the primary school first established in 1861, followed by the special school in 1973.
To meet current and future demand, and due to site limitations and heritage restrictions, a new satellite campus catering for Ipswich West Special School primary students is proposed to be co-located with Leichhardt State School, at the south-eastern side of the grounds.
The campus will operate independently and have its own street entrance, learning spaces and outdoor spaces. Works are expected to begin in 2025.
As part of the new satellite campus works, Leichhardt State School will be receiving upgraded infrastructure, including new educational spaces and a shared nature space.
The planning of the proposed co-located campus has considered construction needs in a way to not impact the learning or existing operations of Leichhardt State School.
Community engagement
Parents, carers and the local communities were invited to find out about the project and to tell us what to name the new satellite campus from Thursday 28 November 2024 to Friday 13 December 2024.
Community engagement activities included:
- information flyers distributed to the 3 school communities and local residents
- online survey
- school Facebook posts
- school newsletter articles
- 2 face-to-face engagement sessions held on Wednesday 4 December 2024 and Thursday 5 December 2024.
Feedback
More than 37 people provided feedback by visiting a community engagement session or filling in the online survey. Around 60% of people prefer the name of Ipswich West Special School – Larsen Street campus for the school’s new location.
Contact
Any questions about this project can be emailed to
BuildingFutureSchools@qed.qld.gov.au.