Next stage: Works to support growth at Iona College

ARMSTRONG Creek is growing and Iona College is growing along with it, with works under way on a major upgrade funded by the state government.

The Catholic secondary school on Horseshoe Bend Road opened in 2020 and already has an enrolment of about 300, and received $5 million from the Non-Government Schools Grants Program to complete stage 2 of its development.

Stage 2A of the works funded an AFL-approved oval, which opened in January this year, and stage 2B will deliver a single court gymnasium, full change room and amenities, food technology room and music room expected to open by November.

South Barwon Labor MP Darren Cheeseman met with Iona College principal Damien McKew, student leaders and representatives of builder Lyons Construction last week to tour the stage 2 works.

“This is a great school with a great reputation already and it’s great to partner with the Catholic Education Office to deliver this to the community,” Mr Cheeseman said.

“Having choice in the Armstrong Creek area with a good, strong Catholic offering along with a fantastic public school, I think, is the right mix, and we’re very much wanting to make sure families have that offering.

“I know the school’s got plenty of plans in the future to grow, and I look forward to working with the Catholic Education Office and the school community to leverage any state opportunities for that.”

Stage 3 of Iona College is also being built next to the existing $25 million stage 1 building.

Work on the college’s specialist facilities (STEAM – science, technology, engineering, arts, mathematics – and media) started in October 2020 to be ready to use at the start of the 2022 school year.

Mr McKew, who has been a principal for 17 years, said it was his honour to take charge of a school that was not only new but also still under construction.

“It’s been a hard slog but we’re attracting really good staff here, which is one of the great things we’ve been able to do. You’re getting everybody who’s coming in that wants to be part of the journey, and it’s different from going into an established school where everyone’s been there for a long time.

“I’m indebted to the parents who backed us in the first year, and I always make a point of saying not just the Catholics but the non-Catholics really supported us as well, which has been great. I’m really happy to have the little community coming together.”

The college presently has students in Years 7 and 8 and will have its first Year 9 class in 2022, eventually building to a total enrolment of 1,200 from Years 7-12.

Mr McKew said there was strong interest in enrolments for next year.

“The future’s really exciting, knowing that the numbers in this whole area are going to be really sustainable,” he said.

“Often, enrolments give principals sleepless nights, but when you can put that away and start really thinking what the important things are, that’s what we’re about.”

Mr Cheeseman said as well as at Iona College, upgrades were also well on their way to completion at St Catherine of Siena Catholic Primary School
($4.95 million) in Armstrong Creek and Lisieux Catholic Primary School ($4 million) in Torquay.