Classroom demolition to usher in a new era at Wagga primary school

The next phase of a $15 million masterplan at the Turvey Park school will see the removal of some of the school's original buildings to make way for a new two-storey learning facility.

Henschke Catholic Primary School principal Paul Jenkins said the project would hopefully begin in March and the new building will predominantly cater for years one to three.

"The buildings are very tired, they've served a great purpose over the years but it's probably not suited for 21^st century learning," Mr Jenkins said.

"It's the start of a project and an overall refurb of the whole school, because we will be refurbing other parts of the school as well."

Grants from the Catholic Block Grant Authority and the Catholic Diocese of Wagga Wagga have helped to fund the project.

The buildings to be demolished are at the Bourke Street end of the school and are the original classrooms of the Saint Maria Goretti School, which was established in 1952.

Executive director for Catholic education for the diocese Andrew Watson said the 73-year-old buildings have a lot of history.

"What made Saint Maria Goretti School unique, in today's terms, is that it was a primary school for girls, you don't see that very often or that's not commonplace anymore," he said.

"Classes would have been reflective of the time, they would have been large class sizes within very traditional classrooms, there would have been upwards of say 40 to 60 students in each class."

In 1962 the Bishop Henschke Boys School was established at the same site, Mr Watson said the evidence of the two schools can still be seen 63 years later.

"As the school developed over the years, other buildings were added such as libraries and halls and administration buildings, but you can have a look at the site and still recognise it was two separate schools," Mr Watson said.

The Saint Maria Goretti School combined with the Bishop Henschke Boys School in 1978 to become Henschke Catholic Primary School, which is now Wagga's largest co-education catholic primary school.

Mr Jenkins said while many people may have fond memories of the original buildings, it is time for a change.

"It is sad to see these buildings go, but at the same time too they have served their purpose," he said.

"Our kids learn in a variety of different ways and we try to embrace the best things that we had from the past as well as the technology which we will utilise in the future."

Students will return to Henschke Catholic Primary School from the summer holidays on Wednesday, February 5.

He said the students will not be impacted when construction work starts, with classes moved into temporary facilities elsewhere at the school affectionately known as the Henschke Hamlet.

"We'll be in them [temporary classrooms] for 12 to 18 months, depending on how long it takes to get the new buildings completed," Mr Jenkins said.

"Those classrooms will be all set up and ready to run as of Wednesday next week."