Getting by with a little help from their friends
The right support in the right school setting has helped a cohort of students excel in their studies, as Linda Doherty discovers.
30 December 2024
Woniora Road School at Hurstville is celebrating the 11 students who overcame barriers and showed each other respect and compassion to complete the HSC.
The school is a specialised setting for Year 7 to 12 students with internalising mental health issues.
Two students received a Band 6 (one in Mathematics Standard 2 and one in Retail Services Examination), two more students received a Band 5 in Maths Standard 2 and both students who took Music 1 received a Band 5.
Principal Danny Callaghan said the class had collectively had many obstacles to contend with but had “seized the opportunities that our program has offered”.
Woniora Road School teachers implemented more intensive 'class tutorial' programs, embedding explicit teaching practices to augment the Distance Education provision in Stage 6.
“These results are the culmination of the considerable gains our students have made in not just their learning, but their wellbeing and transitional goals as well,” Mr Callaghan said.
“They have also been a cohort who have shown each other unconditional respect and compassion and leant into supporting each other through the stressors and high and lows of their final year at school.
“This has all been made possible by the close collaboration between our students, their families, our dedicated staff and the teaching staff of Sydney Distance Education High School.”
- News