Message from the Principal

Brisbane 2032 – Six Years to Go!

One of the highlights of the week was reflecting on the incredible opportunity Brisbane 2032 presents for our young people and our broader community.

With the Games now just six years away, there is so much we can do to build interest, excitement and capability across our school. The scale of what is required to deliver a thriving Games is extraordinary, creating opportunities across STEM, sport, tourism, hospitality, construction, technology, business and the arts.

In my latest Chalk Talk podcast, I explore why now is the time for schools and communities to start thinking about how we can engage our young people in the Brisbane 2032 opportunity and help them see themselves as part of the Games story.

🎙️ Listen to the latest Chalk Talk episode here:

Six years. So much opportunity. Let’s get ready!

Celebrating Book Week

Book Week was a wonderful celebration across the school, with so many students getting involved and dressing up. A big thank you to Nick Howard and our English staff who always get behind Book Week and create such a positive experience for our students.

Nick also produces our Book Banter podcast, which explores the importance of reading for leisure through conversations with role models from within and around our community. His latest episode is well worth a listen on your drive to work and is a great reminder of the power of reading beyond the classroom.

Enrolment Update

As a school we have a built capacity of just over 1,000 students, we need to carefully manage enrolments to ensure we maintain appropriate student numbers across each year level and continue to provide the quality of learning, wellbeing and support our community expects.

Due to the increased administration and processing required for out-of-catchment enrolment applications, a non-refundable $100 application fee will now apply for applications that require consideration by the school’s Enrolment Committee.

We recognise that families living close to Balmoral may wish to express interest in enrolment at multiple schools. Our approach is intentionally personalised. We invest significant time in meeting prospective students and families, conducting individual interviews, proving personalised school tours and understanding each student’s learning needs and the support that may be required to enhance a student’s learning growth.

Over the past three years, I have worked closely with Central Office colleagues to carefully manage our enrolment intake, secure sustainable student numbers, and ensure our workforce remains appropriately resourced for the needs of our students. This work has become increasingly important as some of our primary feeder schools have experienced declining enrolments, alongside broader changes in private school enrolments, housing affordability and rental pressures across our local community.

At the same time, we have been very deliberate about strengthening what makes Balmoral distinctive. Our focus has been on creating a school experience where students are known, supported, and challenged to achieve their best, while developing the agency, belonging and innovation they need to thrive.

This work was recognised in 2025 when Balmoral was named a 5 Star Innovative School, celebrating our commitment to authentic innovation and, importantly, recognising a school that is genuinely delivering on its values of Agency, Belonging and Innovation. Our partnerships with authentic learning partners and the opportunities we create beyond the traditional classroom continue to provide students with meaningful connections to learning, community, and their future.

For me, managing enrolment growth is therefore about much more than numbers. It is about ensuring we have the capacity, people, and resources to maintain the quality of the Balmoral experience while continuing to grow as a school that offers exceptional opportunities for every learner.

We will also be hosting another Principal’s Tour for prospective families, providing an opportunity to learn more about Balmoral and the breadth of excellence, sporting, learning, and wellbeing opportunities available to our students.

Thank you to our families for your continued support and understanding as we carefully manage the growth and future direction of our school.

Timothy Barraud

Principal