NEPEAN District Christian School plans to double in size simply because it has to.
"We're at capacity now and need to build classrooms for next year, to commence a second kindergarten class and second year 7 class," said the school's business manager, John Acocks.
Until now there has only been one of every class, from kindergarten to year 12.
"We're looking at this year building four high school classrooms, which will be in total 320 square metres and cost about $1.5 million," he said.
The school last month lodged a development application (DA15/0541) with Penrith Council to make staged alterations and additions to the school at 836-840 Mulgoa Road, Mulgoa, totalling between $5 million and $5.5 million.
If given the green light, the kindergarten to year 12 school could sees its student capacity grow to 780 — 60 in each year — and 80 staff by 2020.
Currently, the school has 374 students and 44 staff.
"In addition to the classrooms we need to upgrade our power and internal road works," Mr Acocks said.
"Next year it's our intent to build another four classrooms and a new library building of about 620 square metres."
If all goes to plan, the school then hopes in 2017 to replace the current library with an infants block comprising six classrooms and to expand the teachers prep room and staff room.
The school is flanked by a waste-handling depot and landfill to the east and south, playing fields to the north (on private land the owner lets the school use) and Mulgoa Road and farming properties to the west.
A report to the council noted that the property was "within a tract of land categorised as having scenic and landscape value" and that the "hillside landscaping has been considered to maintain the value of this aspect".
The report stated that the development "does not impose" on the features of nearby historic properties, such as Glenmore Homestead (established in 1824), St Thomas's Anglican Church (dating from 1838) and the sandstone Fernhill mansion (built in the 1830s).
Nepean District Christian School was established by local Christian parents in 1984 as a primary school (K to 6), temporarily housed in buildings owned by a church at Blaxland.
In 1993 the school bought Clancy’s Woolshed Restaurant at Mulgoa where it opened its first year 7 class in 1995. In 1996, the school added a classroom block. The first year 10 group sat for the School Certificate in 1998.
The catchment area includes Silverdale, Warragamba, Glenmore Park, the lower Blue Mountains, Cranebrook and St Marys.
