Starting high school shouldn’t mean navigating a major transition overnight. At St Edmund’s College in Wahroonga, students with additional needs can begin their secondary school journey in Year 5, developing familiarity with the routines, environment and expectations of high school before entering Year 7.
Introduced in 2025, the College’s innovative Year 5/6 (Stage 3) program was designed to help students gradually develop the confidence, independence and practical skills needed for high school within a familiar environment. Rather than waiting until Year 7, students begin experiencing many elements of secondary school from Year 5, giving them extra time to adjust, build relationships and become comfortable with the changes ahead.
Students follow a high school-style timetable, move between specialist classrooms and become familiar with navigating the campus and managing their daily routines. Learning is practical, purposeful and strengths-based, helping students develop skills that support success both in and beyond the classroom.
The program is designed for students with mild to moderate intellectual disability, autism and sensory impairments. Personalised learning plans and a multidisciplinary team of teachers and support staff ensure every student receives the guidance they need to learn, participate and thrive.
What makes the program unique is the way students become part of the broader College community from the beginning. Alongside classroom learning, students regularly participate in assemblies, sporting carnivals, camps, community events and lunchtime clubs (LEGO, Choir and Art are current favourites). These opportunities help students form friendships, strengthen social skills and experience a genuine sense of belonging.
As a co-educational specialist college for students in Years 5-12, St Edmund’s provides a continuous pathway through secondary education. The College recognises that every student is different, with learning tailored to individual strengths, needs and goals. Success is measured not only by academic progress, but also by growth in communication, social skills, wellbeing and independence.
Students benefit from small classes and high levels of individual support, with at least two staff supporting every 11 students. They also have access to allied health professionals, learning support staff, family engagement services, ICT specialists and a school nurse. By bringing these supports together within the school environment, the College is able to respond to each student’s educational, wellbeing and practical needs in a coordinated and personalised way.
Year 5/6 teacher Michelle Le Patourel has seen the impact of the program firsthand.
“At the beginning of 2025 there were mixed emotions as students started at a new school,” she says. “By the end of the year they were happy, confident and had formed meaningful friendships, not only within their own class but across the College. It has been wonderful to watch them independently navigate the school, read their timetables and feel ready to embrace high school life.”
Now, eighteen months after the program commenced, its earliest students are already demonstrating the benefits of that gradual introduction. Students who began in Year 6 have transitioned confidently into Year 7, while those who started in Year 5 continue developing the skills and resilience that will support their own move into secondary schooling.
That growing independence sits at the heart of St Edmund’s educational philosophy. From Year 5 onwards, students are encouraged to develop practical life and communication skills that will support them throughout their schooling and into adulthood. As they progress through the College, students gain access to community-based learning opportunities, vocational education, work experience and personalised transition planning, helping them explore future pathways towards further education, employment and greater independence.
The College’s recently enhanced campus supports this practical approach to learning. Purpose-built facilities provide opportunities for students to learn, create, participate in sport and develop real-world skills in meaningful settings. From the commercial kitchen and creative arts spaces to specialist learning environments, sports facilities and community gathering areas, students are encouraged to engage in hands-on experiences that build confidence and capability.
For 75 years, St Edmund’s has supported young people with additional needs. Established in 1951 as a small school serving nine boys with vision impairment, it has grown into a specialist co-educational college supporting 120 students from Years 5-12. Throughout that history, one principle has remained consistent: helping every student become known, valued and supported.
For families considering specialist education, the Year 5/6 program offers more than an earlier introduction to high school. It provides valuable time to establish routines, develop friendships and become comfortable with the expectations of secondary school before those challenges become more complex.
Following the success of the inaugural Year 5/6 class, one Stage 3 class has already reached capacity, and the College is exploring opportunities to meet growing demand. Families considering the 2027 intake are encouraged to learn more about how St Edmund’s College supports students to thrive at school and beyond.
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St Edmund’s College
60 Burns Rd Wahroonga | (02) 9487 1044