Soaring enrolments and max capacity: Can North Shore public schools keep up with growth?

Local schools are facing a crisis as they become overwhelmed by pressure to accommodate an increasing number of students. 

From the North Shore to Carlingford West, resources are being stretched thin, forcing families to send their children farther away as resources become increasingly strained. 

With population growth showing no signs of letting up, is the north shore preparing correctly for the education of its future?

Cammeraygal High School reaches its limit

Cammeraygal High School, in Crows Nest and North Sydney, has seen exponential growth since opening with just 120 Year 7 students in its first year. Today, the school serves approximately 910 students across two campuses and will welcome 172 new Year 7 students this year. However, its rapid expansion has left the school unable to accommodate all local students.

To address overcrowding, the Department of Education has revised the school’s enrolment policy, redirecting new students to Mosman High School. 

Mosman High recently underwent a significant upgrade completed in early 2024, expanding its capacity with 16 new classrooms, a library, a multipurpose hall, and additional outdoor and rooftop play areas. These improvements enable Mosman High, which had 988 students enrolled in 2024, to now accommodate up to 1,280 students.

A NSW Department of Education spokesperson told the North Shore Lorikeet it was “investing in schools across this local area, including delivering additional school capacity for new students. Member for Willoughby Tim James called Cammeraygal reaching capacity “deeply concerning,” saying the issue highlighted a need for a boost to high school capacity in the community. 

Not just the North Shore

Northbourne Public School, in Marsden Park, is also facing severe overcrowding, surpassing its original capacity of 1,000 students. Initially built for 1,000 students, its enrolment surged to nearly 1600 by 2023 and is projected to exceed 2,000 by 2024, according to a recent NSW enrolment growth audit. The school, which serves a highly diverse community, relies on a mix of permanent and demountable buildings.

The school has 93% of students from non-English-speaking backgrounds and nearly 1% identifying as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. 

To address growing demand, the NSW Government is also building Melonba Public School and Melonba High School. However, three key challenges have impacted student enrolment capacity over the past five years: localised growth, varying student-per-dwelling rates, and complex population dynamics. 

Carlingford West Public School faces significant strain as well, with 1752 students enrolled in 2023, nearly double its capacity. Despite recent infrastructure upgrades, demand continues to outpace resources, raising concerns about the long-term impact on education quality.

Calls for Better Planning in School Infrastructure

David Hope, President of the Northern Sydney District Council of P&C Associations, emphasised the urgent need for better planning. 

“Back in 2011, we identified problems with classroom space, but the Department of Education initially dismissed these concerns,” he told the North Shore Lorikeet. 

Hope highlighted flaws in the use of Medicare data for infrastructure planning, saying it failed to account for kindergarten-aged children not yet born at the time of data collection, and that the oversight spurred a recommendation for improved data integration and led to the state’s current $8.9 billion investment in school infrastructure.

Efforts to manage school capacity in Sydney’s lower north shore have included flexible boundary systems and repurposing spaces. For example, Mosman High now accepts students from nearby areas under a slightly adjusted boundary plan. While some families prefer newer facilities like Cammeraygal High, built on two former TAFE sites, others question underutilised schools such as Lindfield Learning Village, which remains below capacity despite refurbishment.

Hope also pointed to the importance of local advocacy, stressing that parents and P&C groups must continue to lobby MPs for improvements in two areas: providing long-term capacity and introducing flexible school boundaries to relieve immediate pressures. 

“Parents from Crows Nest sending children to Hunters Hill face logistical challenges,” he said. “Their kids are going to school in an area where, if they want to socialise with classmates, they need a car. It’s not local.”

Doctor Michelle Byrne, the Mayor of the Hills Shire, told the North Shore Lorikeet almost half the schools in the state are exceeding enrolment caps by more than 100 students.

“If the NSW Government is serious about increasing housing, they must also deliver on their promises to provide critical infrastructure, such as schools, to meet the needs of new and existing residents,” said Byrne. “Without this commitment, families moving here may find that their hopes for a well-supported community are nothing more than a pipe dream.”

Schools in Skyscrapers for Sydney

Hope highlighted urban developments in Hong Kong as a potential model for Sydney’s North Shore. In Hong Kong, schools are integrated into continuous skyscraper complexes, allowing residents to move seamlessly through the area while addressing education needs. “This approach could guide redevelopment in Sydney, embedding schools within new projects to meet population growth,” Hope said.

He urged the government to prioritise incorporating educational spaces into redevelopment plans alongside securing additional land. Such measures would not only address capacity challenges but also strengthen local communities by ensuring children can attend schools within their neighbourhoods.

Strategic planning and community advocacy will be essential to ensure that all students have access to quality education without compromising the sense of local connection.

Hope said the provision of school infrastructure “is not something that can be achieved quickly.”