Waranara

MacKillop Education Waranara School is an Independent Special Assistance school in Sydney supporting students in Years 9-12 who have difficulty staying engaged with school.

Waranara is MacKillop Education’s fourth school and its first in NSW.  As an Independent Special Assistance school, Waranara supports children and young people in years 9-12 who have disengaged or are at risk of disengaging from education. Through trauma-informed, differentiated and targeted interventions we help students to continue their education journey.

‘Waranara’ - a Gadigal word meaning ‘to seek’ - honours the history and philosophy of the school.  It was established in 2015 by a Catholic mission agency, Good Shepherd, with the similar aim of helping young people stay engaged with education.

In 2024, governance of the school transferred to MacKillop Family Services, to continue and expand that vision and ensure equity and access to education for all students.

What we offer

• A flexible education model that caters for young people with a broad range of learning styles, capacities and strengths
• Referral pathways to help students identify and address other personal, family or structural issues affecting their education
• Access to accredited education credentials, including the Record of School Achievement, High School Certificate (HSC) and access to vocational studies for Year 11 and 12 students
• On completion, support from the Transition Support Coordinator to work towards preferred education and employment pathways
• Recreational and social activities.