A former aged care facility in Ipswich has transacted for $1.75 million to a well-known community organisation with a view of creating an education alternative for the region.

‘Villa Maria’ located at 98 Limestone Street was snapped up by the YMCA in a deal facilitated by Gregory Woods and Robert Dunne of Savills.

The facility is set to be repurposed as a youth community centre with an embedded independent school for 12 to 17 year olds.

Director of Savills Capital Transactions Gregory Woods said the YMCA will be completing a full scale refurbishment to repurpose the three level building.

“The move from aged care facility to YMCA Community Centre and Vocational School will see a number of major changes, which include the residences turned into classrooms and dining rooms turned into recreational spaces,” Mr Woods said.

‘Villa Maria’ features a total building area of 2,750sq m, inclusive of the chapel with basement, on a 3,359sq m block.

According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics, 14.5% of school aged students in Australia attended an alternative schooling facility in 2017.

The YMCA Vocational School provides young Australians with an alternative approach to education, with ‘individual student need’ being the organisation’s main focus.

According to the ABC online, one in four Australians were reported to have left school before completing year 12, which saw them become disengaged from their education.

“The YMCA delivers a flexible, individualised learning environment to their students, helping to re-engage students with their education,” Mr Woods said.

Alternative schools provide many benefits to their students, including smaller class sizes which allows students to spend more one-on-one time with teachers.

Research outlined by PrepScolar (2016) online, reports that alternative schools deploy a wider range of teaching methods, providing students with additional support to meet their mental, social and emotional needs.