Gateway High is Beating School Refusal

School refusal is common and quite obviously counter to a kid’s future prospects.

The issue is complex, but Gateway Community High is doing its honest best to overcome students’ aversion to school.

Demian Thornhill’s daughter Jacinta was a flat no on going to school and understandably concerned, Thornhill contacted Gateway Community High who focus on providing the kind of environment that reignites a child’s enthusiasm for school.

Jacinta's refusal to attend school began after the transition back to in-person learning post-COVID.

Thornhill says, “Initially, she couldn't articulate why she didn't want to return to the school environment. There was no bullying or specific incident, but she started refusing to go to school and couldn't explain why. Despite the school's efforts to support her, it wasn't working, and her attendance continued to drop till she was to all intents no longer attending school (her last six months she attended less than six days and, on those days, only made it to the learning support rooms, not classes).

“I was very worried about Jacinta potentially leaving school early. At 16, she wouldn't have had a clear idea of what to do next. While I would have supported her if she chose to leave school and pursue a trade, it just wasn't the right path for her and she hadn't expressed any interest in this pathway. Staying in school is giving her the time she needs to explore her aspirations and figure out her future direction.”

Since attending Gateway, Jacinta has changed for the better, she’s engaged, powering through her work and happier within herself.

Gateway as a special assistance school offers additional, targeted support to students who have faced barriers to engaging in their formal schooling.

“After a lot of community consultation about what was needed in our area in northwestern Sydney where we are surrounded by great schools we heard loud and clear that the biggest issue we could target was to enable young people who had poor attendance and those students who have not been learning to their potential in a small, personalised and welcoming setting,” says Gateway’s CEO, Theresa Collignon.

School refusal or attendance without real engagement in learning can arise for many reasons but the main issue for the majority of Gateway’s students are social/emotional barriers - especially anxiety about attending school.

“Many of our students have had lower than average attendance at their schools in Years 7 and/or Year 8 - our key focus is to support them as they increase their attendance and engage in their learning. We do this by really getting to know the students in our small school (no more than 100 students in total).

“We create an environment where they can feel a sense of safety and belonging while ensuring they are engaging actively in their learning. This then helps them come to school more often, progress their learning and to develop as young people.”

At Gateway Community High Stage 6 students complete their HSC over two years - but in their first year of Stage 6 they can fully complete the learning and sit the HSC exam for ½ (usually 3) of their chosen subjects in the first 12 months and then complete the final ½ in the next 12 months. This means instead of juggling 6 subjects through years 11 and 12 they can focus on 3 at a time.

In NSW, most Stage 6 courses are completed over a 24-month period, with students typically taking 6 courses across 24 months of senior study. Mainstream HSC studies comprise at least 5 subjects.

The Stage 6 years comprise the Preliminary Course (traditionally Year 11 that starts in late January and finishes at the end of Term 3) and then students start the HSC Course (traditionally called Year 12 - which actually starts in Term 4 and finishes at the end of Term 3 in the following year. The students then sit the HSC for up to 6 subjects in Term 4 of their Year 12.

The November (term 4) start of the HSC course is the norm - in Gateway’s case it applies to all students in Years 11 and 12.

“Our stage 6 Preliminary Course studies commence in mid-late November (Term 4) so that is actually at the very end of our student's Year 10 - anyone progressing to Stage 6 at Gateway must complete all requirements for Year 10 and attain their Record of School Achievement (RoSA),” says Collignon.

Current Year 11 students at Gateway therefore started their preliminary course studies in November 2024 when they joined with Year 12 students. Every subject offered has Year 11 and Year 12 students studying in the same classroom.

“Our staff are all drawn by our big picture vision, purpose and values. We have a diverse staff- across ages, career backgrounds, qualifications and cultures.
Almost all have worked at large public or private schools in large school systems.

“They are keen to put their skills and knowledge to work in our unique environment so they can make a difference to individuals and to their futures- to create better futures through the power of learning and connection.

“In our new, small school in a unique not for profit our staff have a level of creativity and autonomy that they value - we have a very flat hierarchy so they get the chance to participate in creating our processes and the "Gateway way" by help in shaping decisions, but also engaging in tasks and projects they might never get exposure to in a large school, in a large system.”

Gateway’s base salary offer is the same as in the public systems and most independent schools, but as a Public Benevolent Institution they can offer salary packaging.
There are almost no after hours or weekend commitments to have to attend school sport, extra-curricular programs, no concerts, or events etc either so they offer a great work/life balance.

“Most of all staff are motivated by the fact that every day they have the opportunity to make a difference to the lives of one or more students. Nothing better than seeing one of their students catch up on their learning, make a new friend, learn more about themselves and others and become the person they want to be with a brighter future ahead than that young person thought they might have,” she says.

Success comes in many forms. At an individual level for every student success is very much about actively taking one more step every day on their pathway to achieving their learning goals, proactively maintaining and increasing their wellbeing and growing into the person they want to be on their journey through their teenage years.

Every young person that has realised they need to re-engage in their formal schooling and decided to change schools and come to Gateway has made a brave decision.

Every student that attends school more often than they used to is making a difference to what they will learn.

• In terms of holistic Wellbeing they have both now gathered almost 5 years of anecdotal and the Huber research evidence that holistic wellbeing is improved by attending Gateway Community High
• In terms of nationally recognised academic outcomes the percentage of students that attain the NSW RoSA at the end of Year 10 (more than 90% of students to date since opening in 2021) and the HSC at the end of Year 12 are  benchmarks.
• Beyond the classroom when students gain critical skills that will last a lifetime - the ability to know about and experience respectful relationships, knowledge about health and nutrition, ways to express your creativity, behaviours that show resilience, belief in one’s self-worth the school chalks that up as a win.
• Setting a goal about students’ future post-schoolworking life and making steps towards that.

Large mainstream schools are not for everyone. The Gateway Community High approach as an alternative high school can certainly be replicated - and they aim to have more Gateway schools serving different communities in northwest Sydney over the next 10 years.

“We are one of a growing number of small, independent, low fee Special Assistance Schools that have been established across NSW.

“All credit to our colleagues in community colleges across NSW far and wide - from the North Coast to the Hunter, central coast, Sydney, Illawarra out to Albury and the western Riverina, and other youth-focussed not-for profit education providers such as Youth off the Streets, Warakirri who deliver transformational high school education that provides an alternative to the large mainstream schools.”