A FEE reduction and merger with another school have led to bumper student enrolments for junior years at Scots School.
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Next year, student numbers in the junior school will jump from 76 to 107 people, an increase of 40.8 per cent.
And, two extra classes will be added, from five to seven, with a single stream to operate for each year group.
Headmaster David Gates said the increase in enrolments was the result of a number of factors, including a tuition fee reduction, at an average 30 per cent for each year, that was announced 12 months ago.
In addition, he said the upcoming merger with All Saints’ College had been beneficial in attracting new students.
“It’s not all due to the fee restructure, I think the two schools coming together has been a benefit,” Mr Gates said.
Until now both schools have had small class numbers and he said in the past this had led to a lack of subject elective choices for some students.
However, with an estimated 730 students from kindergarten to Year 12 after the merger, more subject choices will be offered.
“It provides more flexibility and more choice,” Mr Gates said.
Year 10 Scots student, Gabrielle Boshier, said she was the only student in her year to want to study drama as an elective, and would not have been able to do this if the schools had remained separate.
“It allowed me to do all the electives I want,” she said.
It’s not all due to the fee restructure, I think the two schools coming together has been a benefit.
- Scots School headmaster David Gates
While the format of the new school is yet to be decided upon, including new name, uniforms and campus arrangements, Mr Gates said most students were adapting well.
“From the beginning they’ve been very positive, all of them have friends at the other school,” he said.
The 2018 Year 11 class will be the only group to merge next year, and this week they had an barbecue to get to know each other better.
“From 2019 everyone is together,” Mr Gates said of the two school groups.
“The junior school could be on one campus and the senior on the other, but it’s still all to be determined.
Mr Gates said it may end up that students move between the two campuses during their studies each week with a bus to ferry them back and forth.