The K-6 primary school will be built on the former Ryde High School site at Smalls Road, and is set to open its doors to students in 2020.

“I am proud to share the NSW Government’s vision for the new public school at Smalls Road,” said Member for Ryde Victor Dominello MP.

“The school reminds me of the Colosseum in Rome... but it’s going to be a Colosseum for students and 21st century learning.

“I’m calling it Ryde’s Colosseum of learning.”

Dominello went on to share a digital representation of the new building, which resembles Rome’s famed oval-shaped amphitheatre.

Community response online is largely positive, with many thanking the state government for preserving the site from developers, and looking forward to use of the school in the future.

“Wow,” Rhonda Fazzolari said.

“This will be an amazing new learning space for generations of Ryde families for years to come.”

Steven Barlow expressed concern that it’s only the start in a long journey to support Ryde’s ongoing growth in population.

“A small step in the right direction,” Barlow said.

“Ryde needs multiple new schools to support the projected population growth.”

Ryde is expected to experience a population explosion over the next 20 years, with a projected 34.36 per cent increase from 123,841 in 2017 to 166,431 in 2036, according to statistics from population projectionists profile.id.

The new school will be able to accommodate up to 1,000 primary school students to help meet growing enrolment demands in the local area.

The plans include 43 classrooms, a hall, a library, covered outdoor learning areas, out of school hours care facilities, a canteen, administration area, multi-purpose sports courts and a kiss and ride area plus 40 car spaces to help manage traffic in the local area.

The NSW Government is currently making a record investment in school infrastructure across the state.

An investment of $4.2 billion will go into more than 150 new schools and school upgrade projects over the next four years, delivering 1,500 new classrooms and 32,000 additional student spaces across the State.

Thousands of Ryde families are set to benefit from additional local school building projects being delivered through major upgrades to schools at Kent Road, West Ryde and Denistone East, as well as a new education centre that will include a primary school and a high school in Meadowbank.