Gateway Community High

Gateway Community High Gateway Community High is an independent high school, offering a supportive, flexible, and practical learning for Years 9–12.

We help students reconnect with education, build confidence, and achieve their ROSA and HSC in a community where they belong.

This week is a chance to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution our SLSOs make to the Gateway community.Eve...
03/09/2026

This week is a chance to recognise and celebrate the incredible contribution our SLSOs make to the Gateway community.

Every day, they help our students feel safe, supported, understood and connected.

They’re there when learning feels difficult.

When social situations feel tricky.

When things become overwhelming.

And sometimes, simply as a calm and trusted person when a student needs one.

One of the things that makes our SLSOs so invaluable is their ability to notice the little things others might miss - a change in mood, a student beginning to struggle, a small achievement worth celebrating, or a quiet opportunity to connect.

Much of their work happens in these small, everyday moments. It isn’t always visible, but those moments matter enormously.

They help create the positive, personalised and inclusive environment we want every young person at Gateway to experience.

So, to our amazing SLSO team - THANK YOU❤️

Thank you for your patience, care, flexibility, humour, advocacy and commitment to our students. Thank you for the countless small things you do each day and for consistently showing up for our young people.

Your contribution to our school community is invaluable, and today we’re very happy to celebrate you.

Happy SLSO Appreciation Week!

03/09/2026

What is Wellbeing Wednesday all about?

For several years, Wellbeing Wednesdays have been an important part of life at Gateway Community High.

Our students take time to pause, connect and recharge through a range of activities, including art, volunteering, sewing, music, drama and cooking.

Over time, we have seen the positive impact these opportunities can have. They give students space to explore their interests, develop practical skills, build friendships and enjoy a different kind of learning experience.

Wellbeing Wednesdays are an important part of Gateway’s approach to supporting connection, confidence and overall wellbeing. 💙

At Gateway Community High, many students arrive after experiencing periods of declining or disrupted attendance.Over the...
25/08/2026

At Gateway Community High, many students arrive after experiencing periods of declining or disrupted attendance.

Over the past five years, we have learned that rebuilding attendance is rarely about one conversation or simply expecting a young person to return to full-time school immediately.

It can start with understanding the barriers they are experiencing and creating an achievable pathway back into education.

At Gateway, this can include personalised attendance and transition plans, regular staff check-ins, predictable routines, communication with families, adjustments to learning and gradual increases in attendance where appropriate.

Just as importantly, students need to feel welcomed when they do come through the gate.
Our approach focuses on relationships, belonging and recognising progress — including the small steps that can eventually become new routines.

The results are encouraging.

In 2025, 66% of surveyed Gateway students attended 80–100% of the time, with 37% attending more than 90% — significant for a school specifically supporting young people who may have experienced falling or lower attendance in previous schooling.

As one Gateway student told us:
“It’s made me feel accepted and want to come to school.”

Re-engagement can take time. But with the right support, achievable steps can become meaningful progress.

20/08/2026

When your teenager says, “I’m not going to school,” it can be hard to know what to say next.

Starting with pressure or frustration may close the conversation before you understand what is really going on.

Instead of asking:
“Why won’t you just go?”

Try:
“What feels hardest about school right now?”

Listening first can help a young person feel heard, understood and more comfortable asking for help.

At Gateway Community High, this matters. Our 2025 Social Impact Report found positive shifts in students feeling that their opinions are heard and respected, as well as in help-seeking behaviour.

Sometimes, reconnecting with education starts with feeling understood.

Gateway Community High provides a supportive and structured alternative for eligible students in Years 9–12.

For some teenagers, disengagement from school is not about a lack of ability or ambition. Sometimes, the environment the...
17/08/2026

For some teenagers, disengagement from school is not about a lack of ability or ambition. Sometimes, the environment they are learning in is simply not helping them feel connected, supported or able to participate.

At Gateway Community High, maintaining a small school environment is a deliberate part of our approach.

Smaller class sizes and a high staff-to-student ratio create more opportunities for students to be known, build consistent relationships with staff and peers, and receive personalised support.

And we measure the impact.

Gateway’s 2025 Social Impact Report found positive changes in several areas connected to belonging and relationships, including:

+10% increase in supportive friendships
+12% increase in hope
+8% feeling of purpose

Students also told us that staff support, friendships and feeling accepted had a positive impact on their wellbeing and their motivation to attend school.

One student put it simply:
“It’s made me feel accepted and want to come to school.”

A small school cannot remove every challenge. But the right environment can create the conditions for a young person to begin reconnecting — with people, with learning and with their future.

Learn more about the Gateway approach https://bit.ly/3RLb8oB

Deciding to explore another school can be emotional for both teenagers and their families.Parents and carers may worry t...
06/08/2026

Deciding to explore another school can be emotional for both teenagers and their families.

Parents and carers may worry that changing schools means giving up, stepping backwards or admitting that something has failed.

But recognising that the current environment is not working can be an important and constructive decision.

While a new school cannot remove every challenge, our experience shows that the right learning environment can help a young person begin to move forward by providing:
- a fresh start;
- stronger relationships with teachers and support staff;
- smaller classes and more individual attention;
- achievable steps towards regular attendance;
- renewed confidence in their ability to learn;
- a clearer pathway towards Year 10, the HSC, further education or employment.

Changing direction is not the same as giving up.

Sometimes, it is how a young person begins moving forward again.

Gateway Community High offers a supportive and structured alternative for students in Years 9–12.

Learn more about Gateway and our enrolment pathways https://bit.ly/3S5VRP9

03/08/2026

Has school become increasingly difficult for your teenager?

Changes in attendance, confidence, motivation or connection can sometimes indicate that the current learning environment is no longer meeting a young person’s needs.

This does not necessarily mean they have lost the ability or desire to learn. Some students need a smaller, more personalised and supportive environment to begin reconnecting with education.

Gateway Community High provides an alternative learning environment for eligible students in Years 9–12 who may not have felt supported or included in mainstream education.

Discover how Gateway approaches learning, wellbeing and student support https://bit.ly/3S7Dmd4

13/07/2026

Looking for a different kind of high school experience for your child?

Gateway Community High offers a supportive alternative for young people who may not have felt comfortable, connected or able to thrive in a mainstream school environment.

Join one of our upcoming Enrolment Information Sessions to meet our team, tour the Carlingford campus and learn more about our flexible approach to Years 9–12.

Discover how small classes, personalised support and a strong focus on wellbeing can help students reconnect with learning and work towards their RoSA or HSC.

2026 and 2027 enrolments are open.

👉 Register to attend our next Enrolment Information Session: https://bit.ly/4fgdZNW

09/07/2026

Do you work with high school students who may need a different kind of school environment?

Gateway Community High is inviting professionals who support young people to attend our upcoming online information session.

This session is designed for counsellors, youth workers, wellbeing teams, allied health professionals, case workers, community organisations and anyone working with high school-aged students who may be experiencing barriers to mainstream education.

Gateway Community High is a small, supportive Special Assistance School in Carlingford for students in Years 9–12. Our approach focuses on re-engagement, wellbeing, personalised learning and pathways to RoSA and HSC.

If you work with young people who may benefit from a more supportive and flexible school setting, this session will help you understand whether Gateway could be the right pathway.

Register for the upcoming information session:
https://bit.ly/3SKqeL3

Making Impact Visible, Meaningful and ActionableWe were proud to see our CEO, Theresa Collignon, join industry leaders a...
08/07/2026

Making Impact Visible, Meaningful and Actionable

We were proud to see our CEO, Theresa Collignon, join industry leaders at the Impact Summit as a panel speaker for the session "From Insight to Influence: Making Impact Visible and Actionable."

Sharing the story of Gateway Community High, Theresa spoke about why measuring social impact has been embedded in our school from the very beginning - not simply to report outcomes, but to understand whether we are truly making a difference in the lives of young people.

At Gateway, we believe that when students feel safe, connected and supported, they can re-engage with learning, build confidence and create positive pathways for their future. We witness every day how this approach works and the positive difference it makes in the lives of our students, and we remain committed to continuously refining and strengthening our model.

Through a combination of evidence, lived experience and meaningful measurement, we learn, improve and ensure we're delivering the outcomes that matter most. This commitment is reflected in the positive growth we continue to see in student wellbeing, connection, resilience and sense of belonging.

The discussion highlighted the power of bringing together data and storytelling - using both to better understand impact, inform decisions and advocate for young people who need alternative pathways to thrive.

Thank you to the Impact Summit organisers and fellow panel speakers for an insightful conversation about creating meaningful, measurable change.

Address

263 Marsden Road
Carlingford, NSW
2118

Opening Hours

Monday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Tuesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Wednesday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Thursday 8:30am - 4:30pm
Friday 8:30am - 4:30pm

Telephone

+61288458835

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Gateway Community High posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The School

Send a message to Gateway Community High:

Shortcuts

Share

Category