THE past few years have seen big changes at Kadina Memorial School. In January 2013, Kadina Primary School and Kadina Memorial High School amalgamated to form what principal Dean Angus says is one of the largest outside metropolitan Adelaide.
"If it was in Adelaide they would be calling it a 'super school'," he said.
The amalgamation followed Department for Education and Child Development plans to bring schools in close proximity under one management.
There are now 1050 students enrolled from reception to year 12, and 130 staff members.
Its pick-up zone covers about 1000 square kilometres and the student demographic has shifted significantly since the primary school was launched in 1879, and the high school was built in 1924 in honour of those who served in the First World War.
"We used to predominantly get farming families coming through the high school, but the amount of people on farms has decreased a fair bit," Mr Angus said.
"So realistically, there is not a huge percentage of kids with farm backgrounds, but we do run a very strong agriculture program, as well as being a specialist trade centre."
The school has a focus on furniture, automotive, hospitality, children's services, business services, and will run engineering courses from next year.
There has been a major redevelopment of resources in recent years, including new specialist trade centre facilities for technology studies and hospitality, which now boasts a commercial-grade kitchen.
The administration area is also being rebuilt and a number of large land developments and renovations are taking place across the school grounds.
"One of the biggest changes has been the development of a Year 7 to 9 specialist middle school, which has about 300 students," Mr Angus said.
"This makes the transition from Primary School to High School minimal, and provides for a seamless transition from reception through to Year 12."
The school's agricultural program goes up to Year 12 and there is a high number of school-based apprentices who work on the family farm and come in to study, as well as learn with Rural Skills Australia.
"But at the moment one of our issues is that one of our agriculture teachers has had to go back to Adelaide for family reasons," Mr Angus said.
"We're trying to find another one at the moment but they're like hen's teeth.
"We're searching far and wide for an ag teacher, so if anyone out there has ag qualifications in teaching and is keen I'd like to hear from them."
The school will be working with the District Council of the Copper Coast to upgrade its agriculture facilities and is in negotiations with the council and the State Education Department on a new recreation and sports centre.
A new performing arts centre is also on the cards further down the track.
Kadina Memorial School comprises about 600 students who come from Kadina and the rest from the surrounding district, including Wallaroo, about 9km to the north-west.
Kadina Primary School itself had about 480 students before it amalgamated.
* Full report in Stock Journal, December 12 issue, 2013.
