Upgrades are now underway at Our Lady of the Rosary School in Kenmore, with classrooms, amenities and sports facilities set for renewal over the next 12 months as the school responds to growing demand from local families.
The works include refreshed classrooms, upgraded amenities and renewed sports courts, aimed at improving day-to-day learning and student use of the campus.
Principal Paul Rees describes the changes as part of a longer view of what learning looks like for local families. The goal, he says, is to create spaces that support both strong academic outcomes and student wellbeing, “right through to Year 6.” It’s a sentiment that resonates in a suburb where many families choose to stay connected to one school for years, watching younger siblings follow older ones through the same classrooms.
One of the more noticeable shifts this year is the strengthening of early learning on site, Catholic Early EdCare. With a new kindergarten and long daycare now operating alongside the school, the transition into formal schooling is becoming less of a leap and more of a gentle step forward. For working parents especially, the convenience of having children begin and continue their learning journey in one familiar place has been widely welcomed.
Rees says the move was shaped by conversations with families who wanted “a seamless transition into school”. That idea of continuity and belonging runs through much of what the school is trying to build. Children who start in kindy are already becoming familiar with the rhythms of the school day, the faces in the playground, and the expectations of learning, long before their first official year begins.
For students further along, the focus shifts to confidence and independence. Opportunities like interschool sport, camps and extension programs are part of the fabric of upper primary life, helping students stretch beyond the classroom. There’s also a strong emphasis on service, with children encouraged to connect with their community in practical ways. It’s something that reflects the school’s Marist tradition of care and responsibility for others.
Yet, beyond programs and facilities, what stands out most is the sense of continuity between school and community. Families talk about knowing each other across year levels, about older students looking out for younger ones, and about a shared understanding of what it means to grow up in this part of Brisbane.
“It is a great responsibility and an absolute privilege to have a family choose our school for their child,” Rees says and it’s an acknowledgement that education here is as much about relationships as it is about results.
As the upgrades roll out over the next 12 months, there will be visible signs of change—fresh paint, new flooring, improved spaces. But for many in Kenmore, the real story lies in how those changes support something less tangible. It’s a school that continues to evolve alongside the families it serves, while holding onto the sense of community that brought them there in the first place.
For families considering their options, the school will hold an Open Week and morning tour on 29 April, offering a glimpse into daily life at the school.
Published 7-April-2026
