David Bartlett, MP

Premier

Friday, 29 August 2008

Premier David Bartlett today announced the future direction for education and training provision in the Bridgewater and wider Southern Midlands community.

The Government has accepted 9 of the 11 final recommendations of the Bridgewater and Southern Midlands Educational Renewal Taskforce Report.

“The Bridgewater model from birth to adult learning will proceed over the next five years but the Brighton component will be further developed in consultation with the community.

“The Bridgewater and Southern Midlands’ community will have access to lifelong education and training opportunities within the community,” Mr Bartlett said.

The Taskforce’s recommendations that were accepted include:

• The building of a new facility on the original Bridgewater High School site that will include grades 9 – 12 and adult learning provision. (Further work will also be undertaken on co-locating other services on this site, such as a Trades Training Centre and a Children and Family Centre and a LINC.);
• Refurbishment of the existing primary schools (Gagebrook, Herdsmans Cove, Brighton and Bridgewater/Greenpoint combined) to facilitate birth to age 4 provision;
• The current Bridgewater High School (original Bridgewater Primary School) being refurbished as a grades 5 – 8 middle school;
• Existing primary schools in Bridgewater/Gagebrook becoming Kindergarten – Grade 4 early years sites;
• The proposed grades 5 – 8 middle school at Brighton will be subject to more consultation with the Brighton community;
• Existing schools will work together to deliver education and training to the community, and further work will be done to bring them together into a single learning federation; and
• As a first step, Bridgewater and Greenpoint Primary Schools will locate permanently on the Greenpoint site as one campus of the learning federation.

“This project is a high priority for the Government and will ensure the Bridgewater/Brighton area receives best practice education.

“The integration of education provision with other services such as health will allow for a more co-ordinated and collaborative approach to service provision for families,” Mr Bartlett said

“Sharing facilities such as sporting amenities and libraries can draw communities closer to their learning facility and result in a real sense of community focus.

“The community will be closely involved in all further stages of the project,” he said.