General Information
The school facilities cater for up to 1,300 students from preschool to year 10. The preschool, representing stage 1 of the project, opened at the start of 2003. Stage 2, including the primary classroom building, administration, canteen and hall, opened for the start of the 2004 school year. Stage 3, incorporating high school classrooms, gymnasium, specialist facilities and library resources centre, opened at the start of the 2005 school year. The school cost just over $30m and the project was funded with assistance from the Commonwealth.
The school has one principal and shares common facilities, including administration, library, gymnasium, hall and canteen. These facilities have been designed to allow for the needs of the differing age groups and staff requirements.
The buildings are fully cabled to meet the IT needs of the various class areas including local computer networks and internet access. As with other schools, a range of facilities are available for community use.
Renewable Energy System (RES)
The RES incorporated in the school include:
- solar hot water panels to supplement the in-slab heating and hot water systems;
- natural ventilation systems to cool the school;
- roof mounted photovoltaic cells to generate electricity;
- a wind turbine which also generates electricity; and 2 water storage tanks to collect stormwater for recycling within the school.
The incorporation of RES into the school will:
- Reduce the consumption of fossil fuel energy and CO2 emissions.
- Reduce operational costs for the school.
- Develop an educational resource for Amaroo School with special focus upon environmental awareness.
The solar hot water system heats water, which is then reticulated through the in slab heating system to provide heating for the school in winter. Solar heating is also used to provide hot water in the school.
