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This school’s so small its students could fit on a single bus. And it’s shrinking
At Brisbane’s smallest state school, everyone knows your name.
There are only 31 students at Hendra State School, in two classes – Prep to Year 2 and Year 3 to 6 – which gives the school a country vibe, 15 minutes from the CBD.
Hendra State School principal Clare Williams enjoys teaching in the classroom, which also gives her two teachers some non-contact time.Credit: Felicity Caldwell
There’s something special about the 160-year-old school, nestled between the Brisbane Airport and Doomben Racecourse, and it’s not just the occasional sight of jockeys walking horses down the road.
Every student who filled out last year’s school opinion survey agreed they liked their school, felt safe and were motivated by teachers to learn.
Almost 60 per cent of students don’t live locally, choosing to attend out-of-catchment.
Principal Clare Williams described the tiny school as “country in the city”.
Hendra State School friends Georgia and Eva enjoy attending Brisbane’s tiniest state school.Credit: Felicity Caldwell
“I think all schools are communities, but because this school is obviously really small, I think it’s turned that sense of community more into a family,” she said.
Combined years meant it was easy to, for example, offer a Year 2 activity to a Year 1 student if they were ready for a challenge, she said.
Georgia, in Year 3, said she loved “that it’s a small school with big events”, while Eva, in Year 4, added it meant “more one-on-one time” with their teacher.
It’s a far cry from Brisbane’s biggest school, the Prep to Year 12 Kelvin Grove State College, 10 kilometres away, which has 3706 students, adding 138 in two years.
Hendra State School is shrinking. Enrolments dropped from 57 students in 2021.
It is trending towards six students in 2028, even with 138 potential students living in the catchment now.
Some of Brisbane’s largest schools, like Indooroopilly State High School, with 2786 students last year, were among those with the biggest growth, with enrolments surging 13 per cent since 2021, analysis by Brisbane Times reveals.
The Prep-to-Year-12 Stretton State College, Brisbane’s third-largest government school, grew more than 6 per cent.
Others shrunk, including Wavell State High (-11 per cent), Sandgate District State High (-11 per cent), and Holland Park State High (-10 per cent).
Three of the primary schools in the top 20 for growth over two years were among Brisbane’s biggest – Sunnybank Hills (up 11 per cent), West End (up 13 per cent) and Pallara (up 36 per cent).
An education department spokesman said catchment sizes were reviewed to manage changing student numbers, with proposed changes determined using forecasts and consultation with principals.
The most recent schools closed, due to no students and no forecasted enrolments, were regional and remote – Tannymorel State School in 2017, and Yowah State School and Mackenzie River State School in 2018.
In Brisbane, the most recent school closures happened under the Newman government in 2013 – Fortitude Valley State School (which had 56 students), Nyanda State High School (297), and Old Yarranlea State School (18).
Viability decisions consider in-catchment student numbers and trends, distance to the nearest school, transport availability and potential for future enrolment growth.