Carlton Gardens Primary School upgrade is a class act

Deputy Premier Ben Carroll has shared his enthusiasm after a large expansion and upgrade to Carlton Gardens Primary School was officially completed, allowing for an extra 150 students.

Mr Carroll is also the Minister for Education and he dropped into the school on October 9 for a special assembly celebrating the school’s new world-class learning facilities after works began in 2020 thanks to a state government contribution of $10.59 million.

The heritage school has been expanded by 2165 square metres, with the four-storey, 23-classroom block designed and informed by the school community including the Preps who asked that a building be made of pink Lego, complete with a roof garden and an aquarium.

The upgrade also includes accessible bridge links connecting the new building to existing ones, plus a covered play area with external seating and landscaping for children to enjoy.

“I’m so thrilled to see these new facilities come to life at Carlton Gardens Primary School,” Mr Carroll said as he joined a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

“What’s been accomplished here is amazing. Your school is over 150 years old, and the architects and the builders have done a marvellous job being able to work with you – the students.”

“I’ve never visited a school and seen a slide and building blocks and Lego blocks incorporated into it, so what a legacy you’re leaving for future students.”

“It’s often said that if you transform a school, you transform a community and that is what we are doing at Carlton Gardens Primary School because the learning environment is so important.”

Mr Carroll also paid tribute to the school’s late principal, Tina McDougall, who dedicated her life to creating a nurturing and loving environment for students, saying the major project was “something that she worked so hard for and strived so much for”.

In recognition of the school’s modern design, Six Degrees Architects received a commendation in the educational architecture category of this year’s Victorian Architecture Awards. •

Caption: Deputy Premier Ben Carroll with Northern Metropolitan Region Sheena Watt and the school’s two co-captains during a ribbon-cutting ceremony. Photo: state government.