Endeavour Hills Specialist School opens its doors for the start of Term 1 today (1 February).
The “world class” school for students 5-14 years old with special needs has been built on the site of the former Endeavour Hills Secondary College.
It is open for students with a disability and high needs who have autism with a language disorder, and students with an intellectual disability ranging from mild to severe.
The campus includes two early-years, two middle-years and a senior-years learning neighbourhood.
There’s also a community hub with a competition-grade gymnasium, as well as extensive outdoor play spaces with a soccer pitch, full-sized multi-purpose court and three half-courts.
Dandenong MP Gabrielle Williams had lobbied for and pledged the school on the then-derelict site ahead of the 2018 state election.
“All local families deserve to have access to a great local school for their children,” Ms Williams said.
“We are delivering that with Endeavour Hills Specialist School to ensure every child with special needs receives a world-class education close to home.”
It is one of 14 new schools and campuses opening in Victoria in 2022 – what Education Minister James Merlino described as the “biggest education construction boom in Australia”.
The Government stated that 62 new schools are opening between 2019 and 2024. It plans to deliver 100 by 2026.
