By Bridget Angell, June 2025

 

1. Avondale’s primary and intermediate schools have added a net 226 students to their rolls in the last 5 years. That’s enough kids for a whole primary school.

2. All of the state primary schools in Avondale have closed their rolls to out-of-zone enrolments, because they can’t keep up with roll growth. Glenavon’s roll grew 35% in 5 years, Rosebank School 12% and Avondale Primary 4%.

3. Rosebank School may soon need to put temporary classrooms outside its current boundary due to rapid growth (currently 35 students - 2 classes - a year), while we wait for a new permanent building inside the current boundary. That means taking up space on Eastdale Reserve (part of which is owned by the Ministry of Education). Two temporary classrooms were added this year, and they’re already full. Delays in building for growth sometimes mean classes are taught in the school hall.

4. As of 2024, Avondale Intermediate had no school library because they were using it as a teaching space. Avondale Intermediate is currently doubling its classroom capacity to accommodate Avondale and Waterview students, because no other intermediate school serves them, and one is not planned on the Unitec site despite heavy housing development there. The school said in 2018 that “according to projection plans put to Avondale Intermediate by the Ministry, the roll could shoot up from its current 315 to about 900 in the next six or seven years."

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Conclusion

Avondale really needs a new primary school!  Ideally a full primary, including years 1-8.

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The concern

Avondale Racecourse might be the last big parcel of land in Avondale big enough to contain a new primary school. If this opportunity is lost, Avondale’s children may suffer permanently.

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Worst case scenario

A massive housing development is built on Avondale Racecourse, but a new primary school is not built in Avondale, and the children of the new residents have nowhere to go to school. The existing schools get more and more overcrowded and reach their absolute capacity, losing spaces like libraries, school halls and facilities for disabled students. Quality of teaching, attendance, educational opportunities and children’s futures suffer across all of Avondale.

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Best case scenario

The Ministry of Education decides to build a new primary school on Avondale Racecourse (or elsewhere), and acquires the land for it, either through a gift from AJC or compulsory acquisition via the Public Works Act. This school also serves the community by providing community sports fields, open space, soakage – maybe even a swimming pool and space for the Avondale Markets.

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Statistics

From Education Counts (Ministry of Education) website: