For a suburb of 7.9 square kilometres, Goodna packs in an unusually rich educational landscape — five schools serving Prep through to Year 12, a Catholic primary linked to the heritage parish, a P–12 Christian college, a special school, a state campus for vocational pathways, plus a TAFE campus and seven childcare centres.
Whether you’re choosing a school, looking for childcare, or considering a vocational qualification, here’s the local guide to education in Goodna.
Primary schools in Goodna
Goodna State School
Goodna’s first school, founded in 1870 — making it one of the oldest in the Ipswich region. By 1874 it had 175 pupils. Today it serves Prep through Year 6 with a strong multicultural community.
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School
Founded as the Catholic School in 1910, adjoining the heritage-listed church and former Sisters of Mercy Convent (1911). Prep–Year 6, part of the Brisbane Catholic Education network.
Secondary schools
Westside Christian College
Independent P–12 school founded in 1977. Located on Stuart Street, with enrolment growing past 780 by the early 2000s. Years 7–12 secondary campus.
Queensland Pathways State College — Goodna campus
A Year 10–12 campus at 45 Queen Street, with the main campus in Coorparoo. Specialises in alternative and vocational education pathways.
Goodna Special School
Prep–Year 12 special school at 65 Queen Street supporting students with disability — around 134 students enrolled in recent years.
Tertiary & vocational
TAFE Queensland — Goodna campus
Bremer Institute of TAFE delivers vocational training including trades, business, and community-services qualifications from a campus in Goodna.
Goodna State School — a 150+ year history
Founded in 1870, Goodna State School is one of the oldest continuously operating state schools in the Ipswich region. By 1874, just four years after opening, the school was attended by 175 pupils — a remarkable enrolment for a village whose total population was around 500 by 1888. Generations of Goodna families have passed through its gates, and today the school’s community reflects the suburb’s deep multiculturalism with strong Pacific Islander, Vietnamese, Filipino and Australian-born student cohorts.
Choosing a school
Visit the Queensland Government Education website (qed.qld.gov.au) for catchment maps, NAPLAN data and enrolment information for state schools. For Catholic schools, check Brisbane Catholic Education (bne.catholic.edu.au). For Westside Christian College, visit westside.qld.edu.au. We recommend touring any school you’re considering — most run open days and information evenings throughout the year.
St Francis Xavier — heritage and community
St Francis Xavier Catholic Primary School traces its origins back to the early 1900s, with the school established alongside the heritage-listed Catholic Church (1880–81). The Sisters of Mercy Convent opened in 1911 and ran the school for many decades. Today it remains a popular choice for Catholic families across Goodna and the surrounding suburbs, with strong academic and pastoral programs and beautiful heritage-precinct surroundings.
Childcare & early learning
Goodna has seven childcare centres serving the under-school-age population — a notable number for a suburb of this size, and a reflection of how many young families have made Goodna home. Centres include long-day care, kindergarten, and outside-school-hours care providers, with both private and not-for-profit operators.
Specific centre details change over time — we recommend checking the Starting Blocks website (the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority’s family resource) for current ratings and vacancies, or driving past the Goodna Marketplace area where several centres are clustered for easy commuter pick-up and drop-off.
A great place especially for younger families, there are five schools and seven childcare centres with a multitude of parks and electric BBQ facilities.
Schools in neighbouring suburbs
Many Goodna families also enrol children in schools in the surrounding suburbs:
- Bellbird Park State Secondary College — large state high school in neighbouring Bellbird Park.
- Redbank Plains State High School — a major state high school in adjacent Redbank Plains.
- Redbank Plains State School — primary state school nearby.
- St Augustine’s College, Springfield — Catholic P–12 college, a short drive away.
- Good News Lutheran School, Redbank Plains — Lutheran P–12 school.
Higher education within reach
Beyond the local TAFE campus, Goodna students have ready access to several universities within a short commute:
- University of Southern Queensland (UniSQ) Springfield campus — approximately 15 minutes’ drive.
- University of Queensland (UQ) Ipswich campus — approximately 20 minutes’ drive (or train + bus).
- University of Queensland St Lucia — approximately 35–40 minutes by car.
- Queensland University of Technology (QUT) — accessible by train into Brisbane CBD.
- Griffith University Mt Gravatt & Nathan campuses — accessible by car or train.