A new Christian school is set to open in Armidale in January 2027, with enrolments currently being accepted.
Not-for-profit organisation Melos Education plans to launch Highlands Christian School, catering to both primary and secondary students. The initiative has emerged from a local group of Christian parents seeking an education model grounded in their faith.
Melos Education executive director Phillip Nash said the organisation held two public meetings in Armidale to gauge interest, both of which were “very well attended”.
Local parent and Armidale farmer Ben Boland said the school was born out of a perceived gap in educational offerings for boys at the secondary level.
“We then started the process by holding a community meeting and exploring what the appetite for a low-fee Christian school in Armidale would be,” Boland said.
“We explored a number of possible partners to start and operate a school from scratch (a huge task in itself),” he said.
“We were introduced to Melos and were immediately impressed. We were particularly impressed by their willingness to build a school to suit the needs of the community in which we live and not necessarily replicate schools that they have under their umbrella.”
In a statement, the Melos Group says its schools are “grounded in a philosophy of education that sees the Christian faith informing the perspectives presented in education”.
Nash said staff employed at Highlands Christian School would be required to sign the organisation’s statement of faith.
“As a Christian school, we employ people who adhere to our Christian faith and seek to live that out,” he said.
According to the statement, “The school will be open to people of all faiths if they accept that Highlands will present the evangelical Christian faith to all students and ground all its work on the basis of Biblical teaching and beliefs.
“Students will all learn about the Christian faith while not being required to embrace it personally.”
Melos said it plans to submit an application for Highlands to be registered and accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) by March this year so that it can gain permission for the school to commence in January next year.
The school will be a member of the Melos Group, Christian Schools Australia, and the Association of Independent Schools and will be governed by the board of Melos Education, the organisation said.
Nash said the organisation had received more than 140 expressions of interest for enrolments so far, with enquiries continuing at a steady pace.
The support that local parents have had from Melos to set up Highlands “has blown our expectations,” Boland said.
Families, teachers and staff in the area who would like to express their interest in joining the school should contact Phillip Nash by email at phillip.nash@melos.education.
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