New educational facility at Arden

Arden Anglican School’s proposed front of the development from Essex Street, Epping.

Arden Anglican School is planning an exciting redevelopment of its Epping campus, in line with its stated aim of providing exceptional facilities and expanded learning opportunities for its students.

“As part of Arden’s 2020 Vision, the school is investing in new world-class facilities at our existing Epping site,” says Arden’s principal, Graham Anderson. “Our aim is to provide the best facilities possible for current and future generations of Arden learners. This reflects Arden’s commitment to optimising our built environment, creating attractive, inspiring, flexible learning spaces, reflective of our learning culture.”

The Arden School Council agreed to adopt a staged approach to the development of the Epping site, with Stage 1 due for completion in 2020. Arden has submitted a Stage 1 Master Plan Development Application for the new Epping Campus building to Parramatta Council. Construction is planned for the second half of 2018, with Stage 1 completed for 2020. During construction, Arden has secured additional overflow space at Cambridge Business Park to minimise the effects on students.

“We want to create a physical environment that is fluid and flexible, and one that allows us to be more of who we already are: committed to genuine relationships and engagement between students, teachers and parents,” says Graham. “The school sees this as a genuine opportunity to rethink and reimagine the educational possibilities that a new development of our Secondary School can achieve, building on existing educational practices and values, while allowing for the development of an exciting new 21st century learning environment.”

Arden has appointed one of Sydney’s top school architects, Stanton Dahl Architects, to partner with the school in realising its vision. “This is a richly rewarding project that will deliver a contemporary and innovative 21st century learning environment that matches Arden’s identity and community values within the confines of some significant development constraints,” says Shayne Evans, practice manager and senior architect at Stanton Dahl.

Graham listed the educational outcomes the new build will achieve:

• To create learning spaces to promote 21st century learning, including collaboration and creativity so that students are prepared in the best possible way for their futures beyond Arden
• To deliver completely redesigned Science and TAS areas, to facilitate cross-curricular opportunities such as STEM
• To offer smaller class sizes in core subjects
• To deliver further improvement in subject selection for students when they reach Stages 5 and 6
• Increased diversity in year groups will allow for more friendship group options through the introduction of the fourth stream in 2017 (Arden has increased its Year 7 intake to a fourth stream, resulting in a Year 7 size of approximately 96 students from 2017 onwards)
• Adding greater depth to year groups without going over size will improve co-curricular, sport and music participation
• More specialised areas for departments with classrooms that can facilitate enhanced learning within individual disciplines
• Numerous benefits to Middle and Senior School students from a combined campus

Key features of the redevelopment include:

• Reworking the two existing buildings – Oxford Street and Essex Street – and the addition of a new building in Essex Street
• Specialised Learning facilities will include PDHPE, flexible performance space and learning spaces, Library, Music and Science Rooftop. Additionally, the student services, executive, computers, Technological and Applied Studies (TAS) space will all be housed on one level
• A whole-of-school community space which is deliberately multi-use and able to be used as a flexible performance space
• Additional recreation spaces – especially important at this time of great development in the area. Spaces will include tennis courts, grassy areas, atrium area and a rooftop garden where students can relax or study
• Design of project will strive to open up access and light to all the buildings, creating a pleasant and more natural learning environment
• New basement carpark underneath the current tennis courts will provide 30 car parking spaces
• New frontage on Essex Street

Briefing meetings have recently been held with staff, students, parents and neighbours to provide stakeholders with an opportunity to hear about these exciting developments, reflecting Arden’s commitment to the community.