Major new facilities worth $2 million will be built at Nambucca Valley Christian Community School from next year to meet the needs of students and set the school up for the next decade.

Federal Member for Cowper Pat Conaghan said student enrolments had grown quickly at the school which meant its existing facilities were at capacity.

“Nambucca Valley Christian Community School has grown from having 46 students in 2012, to having 270 students this year, so it clearly needs more facilities to accommodate students’ needs,” he said.

“I’m really pleased to be announcing $700,000 from our government’s Capital Grants Program for this school today as it will enhance the education outcomes for both secondary and primary students.

“This school has been really progressive in introducing subjects like engineering for high school students, so a new metal work studio being built here next year will help students to have access to the best possible learning environments.

“We are delivering real, needs-based funding that is matched by national reforms that will drive better results and outcomes, as recommended by David Gonski in his Review to Achieve Educational Excellence in Australian Schools.

“I congratulate Nambucca Valley Christian Community School on their successful grant application and look forward to seeing the positive impact the new facilities will have on students and our community.”

Nambucca Valley Christian Community School Principal Jeff Allen thanked the Federal Government for backing his school, the only independent kindergarten to year 12 school in the Nambucca Valley.

“We started building new facilities in 2014 through a combination of Federal and State Government grants and our own funds,” Mr Allen said.

“This $700,000 grant, combined with our school’s $1.4 million, will enable us to implement stage six of our facilities improvement program, which will mean our sometimes crowded library, music studio and staff areas will be freed up, due to the construction of new learning spaces.

“We will build a new woodwork and metalwork workshops, large music studio, two general learning areas, plus staff offices and a new staff room.

“These new facilities will result in better education outcomes for students and will dramatically free up space in our library.”

The Capital Grants Program was open to all independent schools throughout Australia. The Coalition Government is providing record recurrent funding of $310.3 billion to all schools to assist the State and Territory Governments to give a quality education to every child.

Schools that want to learn more about the Capital Grants Program should visit https://www.education.gov.au/capital-grants-non-government-schools