Trinity Lutheran College Cotlew Street Campus 251 Cotlew Street, Ashmore, Queensland 4214

"It is with great sadness and regret I write a less than favourable review. I feel that it is important that families considering enrolment are privy to a range of experiences - many of the reviews here are old or written by teachers and staff - even some from families that ultimately left the school! I will firstly say everyone’s experience of any school will be different and it might be a great fit for your family!! However we experienced gradual attrition of senior experienced teachers and replacement with less experienced staff. Class sizes in prep last year were 28 kids ages ranging from 4-6 years in age (out of control!) (only ~ 21 at Benowa State last year in prep). My year 1’s classroom had 27 and was so noisy they’d complain of headaches and would sent to the office to be picked up at least twice a week - yet no pattern noticed, no welfare concerns, just a call from office to pick them up every single time. My preppie's teacher never ever raised any concerns, their reports said average and doing fine. The single parent teacher interview - no issues. On moving to a new school, they have been found to be able, but SIGNIFICANTLY behind peers. The new school has been able to provide intensive literacy and numeracy support to help them in catching up. One teacher remarked “it’s like the poor child has missed a whole year of school!”. It would have gone unnoticed at TLC because quiet children that are struggling (but aren’t disruptive) are ignored. I know of many other families who have experienced similar. I am very saddened by this - and it is in part why I have been prompted to write the review. Another of my children was flagged early in starting their new school as needing assessment for a possible learning challenge - never noticed during 6 years at TLC but identified within 5 weeks elsewhere. Since moving schools my older children have been recognised for excellence in maths and science and have attend inter-school workshops and received awards. Never noticed at TLC. There’s a heavy emphasis on performing arts (even in primary!!) and I would say the general vibe is a bit "Dance Mum". To me it seems like there is a strong push to expand enrolments which is short sighted. When you're noticing problems from within, it is hard to see a lot of your fees going towards bus ads, billboards, radio ads and not enough investment in the existing students and teachers. All that said - beautiful community, beautiful school grounds, lovely teachers who are just hamstrung by a financially motivated leadership team, huge class sizes and a high workload. If you had asked me 3 years ago I would have wholly recommended! But the place changed through the pandemic. I can say your child is likely to make beautiful life long friends - families here are the backbone of the school! I'm sure the marketing team will jump on this review and question it's validity. It's real. I have deidentified as much as possible (whilst maintaining honesty) to protect my children."

"Returning back to Australia after 5 years in Europe we were worried our 2 girls would find it hard to adjust... Well with Trinity Lutheran College as their school we had nothing to worry about. From the moment we started the enrolment process through to meeting the Junior school principle we knew we had found something special. The kindness and respect all the staff and students showed to our children was just amazing. The staff all went above and beyond - but we soon realised this was the Trinity way as a standard. The school facilities are of the highest level offering incredible opportunities to all children from Junior to Senior whether it be education, sport with a huge array of special interest classes and clubs. Our girls have made forever friends and only wish school was 7 days a week as they are sad when they are not there. The reality is that the Gold Coast offers may great private schools and it can be hard navigating which is best for your children but for our family we will never second guess our decision to be part of the Trinity community - because that is what it is - a community. One that makes our children the happiest in the world and after all - isn't that what any parent wants? Thank you Trinity."

"My children have thrived since joining Trinity. We moved from Chicago and Trinity ensured that the transition was seamless and my children were made to feel welcome. The school is a truly nurturing community where each child is personally known and cared for. The holistic approach at Trinity ensures all children's needs are met and individual interests and strengths are developed. My children enjoy the variety of extra curricular activities on offer and we love that they are able to showcase their talents in the many performance opportunities."

"We searched for a school that would encourage our child's love of performing arts whilst also providing a challenging academic environment. We found it! Trinity embraces each individual student in a warm and nurturing setting. Our daughter is thriving in all areas of school life and we couldn't be happier. Staff are positive and dedicated, parents are welcoming and most importantly, students are happy and encouraged. Best move we ever made."

"Our three children are very happy at Trinity Lutheran College. After being in international schools we had high expectations when we moved home and Trinity had met every one. Their academic programs are innovative and student centred, they offer a fantastic range of extra-curricular activities for all ages including sport and The Arts, and maintain a beautiful environment. The atmosphere of the school is friendly, warm and welcoming - they really do "nuture every learner". We are so pleased we chose TLC for our children's learning journey."