newy.com.au – Structural work on the main building at Gillieston Public School has been completed, with the multi-million-dollar redevelopment on track to open for the first day of Term 1 in 2027.
Premier Chris Minns and Maitland MP Jenny Aitchison inspected the construction site on Tuesday as work progressed on the new permanent facilities.
The redevelopment will provide 32 modern classrooms and three support classrooms, replacing 20 demountables that had become the main learning spaces for most students amid long-running enrolment growth.
The new buildings will cater for more than 730 students and include a library, hall and canteen, outdoor areas, upgraded sports facilities and outside school hours care facilities.
A public preschool with capacity for up to 120 children each week is also being built on the site. It is one of 100 new public preschools the NSW Government plans to deliver across the state by 2027.
While structural work on the main three-storey school building is finished, the internal fit-out is continuing. The steel framework for the hall is in place and the preschool’s internal fit-out is almost complete.
Mr Minns said the redevelopment would provide permanent classrooms for Gillieston students while expanding access to early learning.
“It’s fantastic to see construction progressing well on this project, which will next year welcome local students and preschoolers for the first time into the state-of-the-art classrooms they deserve,” he said.
Ms Aitchison said local families had advocated for improvements to the school for years.
“It’s incredibly exciting to see the new and improved Gillieston Public School coming together right in front of us. This is an investment in Gillieston’s future and a promise delivered for local families, who have been advocating for these upgrades for years,” she said.
Gillieston Public School principal Lauren Fernando said the new facilities would support the school as its community continued to grow.
“These new learning spaces will provide our teachers with flexible and engaging environments that support high-quality teaching and help every student to learn and grow,” she said.
“We are delighted by the progress that has been made and look forward to welcoming our students, families and staff into the new facilities in 2027.”
The government says teacher vacancies in Maitland public schools have fallen by 73 per cent since it took office, following the removal of the former public sector wages cap and an increase in teacher pay.
The Gillieston project forms part of a broader school infrastructure program in the growing Maitland region. Other planned projects include an upgrade of Thornton Public School, a new primary school and public early learning facilities at Chisholm, the relocation and expansion of Maitland Grossmann High School and a public preschool at Tenambit Public School.
New schools are also planned at Huntlee and Medowie as part of the NSW Government’s $9.2 billion school infrastructure program in the 2026-27 Budget, including $2.3 billion for new and upgraded schools in regional NSW.
