RFI - GSLC MCU230096 College Principal Supporting Letter 210324

Sunshine Coast independent schools in order to remain as accessible as possible for
families, including long term residents of Noosa Shire. A key element of operating efficiently
and sustainably is being able to have existing classes at capacity when demand exists.
These considerations lead to a projected maximum of 1150 students. An enrolment cap at
this level allows for sustainable and efficient College operations into the future.


Purpose of Performing Arts and future planned developments.
There may be a concern that the College’s planned development is to facilitate ongoing
enrolment growth. This project, and future projects represented on the master plan
submitted, are not planned to provide for enrolments beyond 1150 students. The focus of
planned projects is not on adding extra general classroom capacity, rather, our focus is on
the addition or significant upgrade of specialist facilities that would be assumed and
expected in similar schools across sectors. These specialist facilities are yet to be built due
to the long development timeline typical of many independent schools given that, even with
some government grants, projects are still majority self-funded.


Performing Arts Centre
The College does not have sufficient or suitable facilities for the teaching of the Performing
Arts classroom subjects of Music and Drama. We do not have a facility suitable for the
teaching of Dance despite this being a commonly offered subject and one we anticipate
there being strong demand for. The spaces to support the College’s extensive co-curricular
Performing Arts program are inadequate in number, location and design. The spaces
currently used for curricular and co-curricular Performing Arts are dispersed across multiple
locations on the campus, in buildings not designed for Performing Arts.

Performing Arts teaching and supporting spaces need to be co-located for a range of
functional reasons. Within the same subject, and at times the same lesson, students will
access a range of the spaces and facilities located in the same building. Staff areas,
storage areas and ancillary spaces need to be readily accessible by all users of the facility.
Although we are mindful of retaining open space on campus, the proposed two storey
facility allows the different spaces to function in the necessary closely linked manner. This
includes practical considerations such as the indirect supervision of older students and
security of the facility and its resources. The proposed central location is ideal for a facility
that will be accessed by students from Prep to Year 12, parents and members of the
community. Its location and two storey format allows for an area of open space to be
retained in the heart of the campus. Gaining this central area on the campus for student
benefit was a major reason for relocating staff vehicles from the old staff car park to the
new staff car park. We anticipate College and community events that take advantage of the
Performing Arts Centre’s connectivity to this open space.

The College’s need for a Performing Arts facility was supported through the Independent
Schools Block Grant Authority in its 2018 round. Central to the BGA’s process is the need
to determine ‘the minimal viable project that meets the identified educational need’. The
proposed facility with teaching spaces, rather than performance spaces, as its primary
purpose was justified and supported to provide specialist facilities at the level generally
expected in similar schools across sectors. The proposed project was viewed as consistent
with the College’s justifiable needs. Through this process, this project is eligible for $1.4m in
capital funding from the Queensland Government. However, due to delays including those