Gateway Community High celebrates its first HSC Graduates

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GATEWAY Community High, a growing independent alternative high school in Carlingford is celebrating its five-year anniversary alongside the graduation of its first Year 12 HSC cohort.

Opened in 2021, Gateway Community High, an initiative of Macquarie Community College, was established to offer positive, personalised and inclusive education for students who may not have thrived or felt supported in mainstream schooling.

For many of this year’s graduates, Year 12 and the HSC once felt out of reach, but alternative school has turned that around, giving them the support and confidence they need to finish their schooling and look ahead with ambition for their futures.

Today, Gateway Community High has grown into a school community of 75 students across Years 9 to 12, up from 30 students when it first opened in 2021. This September, the school will celebrate a major milestone with the graduation of its very first cohort of HSC students. Thirteen students graduated with their HSC, many of whom have been with the school since it first opened.

Theresa Collignon, Group Chief Executive Officer, Macquarie Community College, said: “This is a proud moment for Gateway Community High and Macquarie Community College.

“When we opened five years ago, we set out to create a place where every young person could feel supported and succeed. Seeing our very first HSC graduates walk across the stage is proof that this model works and it’s changing lives. It’s an approach we are keen to bring to more communities.”

Gateway Community High was established to meet the growing need for flexible, alternative education in Sydney’s north-west.

Its small-school environment, compressed HSC curriculum and wraparound wellbeing support enables students to really engage in their learning, on their pathway to achieving their personal and educational goals. Gateway’s approach to Years 11 and 12 enables students to complete two or three HSC subjects per year and graduate with an HSC and an ATAR if they choose over a two-year cycle.

Head of Campus, Mark Burgess said: “Gateway is changing the direction of our students’ lives. Many thought that gaining their HSC wasn’t possible, but today they are not only reaching this milestone, but many are continuing their learning journey in higher education or vocational training.”

Recognising that diverse pathways are key to student success, Gateway Community High has implemented wellbeing support measures to ensure that all students can thrive academically and personally. The results of this approach are independently researched and highlighted in the school’s annual Social Impact Report, which reveals:

• 7% increase in overall student wellbeing over one year
• 9% increase in sense of purpose over one year
• 15% increase in hope, defined as believing good things will happen in the future
• 10% increase in supportive relationships and community connection, defined as having someone to talk to when feeling upset, angry or worried

The 2025 HSC class was a particularly special milestone for Gateway, with many students having been part of the school community since Year 9.

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