as a classroom for art, music and physical education. The Library had books selected for the needs of the children. The home economics block where children were taught skills aimed at making them as independent as possible, was also important. In the laundry children washed and ironed - processing their own clothes on particular days. There was also a bathroom and a fully furnished bedroom. In the solar heated pool, swimming lessons and water therapy were year-round activities and children benefited from special exercise programs. Rockdale Municipal Council listed the building in 1985 and it is recorded by the National Trust of Australia (NSW). In January 2017, Cairnsfoot School vacated the building and undertook a $21.9 million move to new premises in Brighton-le-Sands. The ageing facilities, the inability to adapt them due to the heritage-listed house, and the school site not being flat were cited among reasons for the move. In 2018, the NSW Government proposed to rezone the site as residential for high-rise apartments; however, this proposal was scrapped in March 2018 after community opposition. The Minister for Education Rob Stokes announced that the site would be "needed for future educational purposes". Description Cairnsfoot is a two-storey rendered brick Victorian Italianate villa with gabled roof covered in slate tiles with verandah and balcony at front, with cast iron balustrades, posts, brackets and valences. A shallow bay window dominates the front with two rendered brick chimneys. An original timber back verandah with a shillion roof sits at the rear. An original gabled roof rendered brick outbuildings also sits on the site. Until the late 20th century the house had always been painted shades of pale grey, with darker grey marking out window details etc., and some cream details. The slate roof is hipped and a front gable contains a two-storey bay with segmental arched windows. The two storey verandah has been enclosed on the upper level. (RNE,1978). It features French windows onto ground floor verandah which also has thin columns. Four chimney pots on chimney. It was reported to be in excellent condition as at 4 May 2009, with original outbuildings, slate roof, chimneys, cast-iron balustrades, posts, brackets, valences, timber back verandah, doors and windows. It also retains its original garden setting. The interior has been substantially altered to accommodate a school. The four trees dating from 1884: two Norfolk Island pines (Araucaria heterophylla) and two evergreen magnolias/ bull bays