Redeemer school to go to Year 10

REDEEMER Lutheran School has announced this week that the school will begin the process to include education to Year 10.

The school has received the go-ahead from the Non State Schools Accreditation Board to change its education status to include secondary education.

Principal Jenny Krenske said as of Wednesday the school would now be known as Redeemer Lutheran College.

"Parents have been asking for probably the last decade whether we are going to extend to secondary," Jenny said.

"Then when the Flying Start Paper came out about Year 7 transitioning we had a community forum here and that's when the parents said please investigate if this is feasible.

"We spent a good 18 months doing that and we decided we could do it financially and there was enough interest in the community so that is what we have done."

Building for the new middle school will begin next year for Years 7 and 8 students.

The first stage of the building project is estimated at around $2.2 million.

"The first stage will include two classrooms, a manual arts block and a home economics facility.

"Stage two the following year will be another two classrooms and a science laboratory plus a staff room and a student services department.

"Because the Australian curriculum goes from Prep to Year 10 it's just a natural progression.

"In our first year we are going to be looking at at least three extra staff."

It is expected at full capacity in single stream the school will increase by 100 students and another 100 if the school progresses to double stream.

Jenny said she hoped the extended years would give the wider community more choice.

"For the school community and the broader community it will give another option," she said.

"We already have lots of wonderful primary schools that give families choices and that's what we are trying to offer in this community, another choice.

"It might keep people in our community and keep our children home longer.

"For us it means the possibility of retaining our Year 7s when they officially transition into secondary school in 2015.

"We will continue to grow into Year 10, maybe in the future 11 and 12 but at this stage we will grow to Year 10 in 2016."