St Lucy’s School offers students a very special education

Celebrating its 85^th year in 2023, St Lucy’s is a co-educational K – 12 independent school for students with intellectual disabilities. Discover exactly what you can expect from the school from primary through to secondary years, including the amazing facilities to take advantage of.

About St Lucy’s School

Established in 1938 as a primary school for students with vision impairments, St Lucy’s School has grown significantly and become a leading educator for students with special education needs. St Lucy’s specialises in a wide range of disabilities including mild to severe intellectual disability, autism and other sensory impairments.

A Catholic school in the Dominican tradition, St Lucy’s School is open to students of all denominations. Along with its main campus in Wahroonga, St Lucy’s School also offers satellite classes in St John’s Primary School Narraweena, St Joseph’s Primary School Narrabeen and Prouille Primary School Wahroonga for students who benefit from special education within the setting of a mainstream school.

At St Lucy’s School, educators work in collaboration with a behaviour support team, which includes Occupational Therapists and Speech Pathologists, as well as with psychologists and a Family Support Worker to ensure that students get the most from what the curriculum and their school life offers them.

Most students enrol in St Lucy’s for their school career while others move on to attend a mainstream school once they have gained the skills they require for a successful transition.

The Primary Years

Students in the primary school follow a NESA (New South Wales Education Standards Authority) curriculum including a dynamic Creative Arts Program designed and delivered by Artists-in-Residence. Teaching and learning is tailored to students’ needs so as to ensure that it is meaningful and engaging for them.

“We offer primary students specialised augmentative programs in numeracy and literacy with our ‘Reading Tutor’ and ‘Maths with Meaning’ Programs which provide 1:1 tutor support. Physical Education is taught by specialised teachers and Creative Arts is facilitated by professional Artists in Residence”. – Head of Curriculum and Pedagogy Years K – 6

The Secondary Years

Students in the secondary school can participate in a variety of excellent elective and work education subjects as well as vocational programs. St Lucy’s also offers a Post School Transition Coordinator to work closely with students and their families in planning for life beyond school.

“Our Secondary students balance the rigor of their NESA Life Skills Curriculum with meaningful recreational opportunities, work placement and vocational training, and post school preparation.” – Head of Curriculum and Pedagogy Year 7 – 12

St Lucy’s Community

St Lucy’s School celebrates the individuality of each student. Staff recognise that to educate the whole person, they must have strong connections with families and carers. St Lucy’s staff work closely with parents in setting meaningful goals for the students throughout the year and welcome parents onto campus for a variety of school events, including assemblies, liturgies, athletic and swimming carnivals, end of year concerts and more.

St Lucy’s School is dedicated to the core values of Joy, Community, Courage, and Truth and seeks to in all aspects of education and school life. The school offers a wide variety of after-school programs, including sports clubs and arts programs and creative arts holidays programs.

Facilities at St Lucy’s School

In April 2021, St Lucy’s School officially opened the Dominic Centre, providing 16 purpose-built classrooms and a large playground. The classrooms include both wet and dry areas and complementary learning spaces to further expand and enrich student in-classroom experience. Each classroom includes enhanced technology and sound systems that link to cochlear implants, providing each student and teacher the equipment they need to suit their specific and specialised needs.

The outside and sports areas include a large, imaginative and challenging playground, an indoor gym and a ball court. With these purpose-built facilities, students can experience and enjoy physical resources and technology that maximises their potential to discover and explore their talents.

In addition to their new facilities, students learn in the Fra Angelico Centre for Creative Arts which includes Visual Arts, Music, Dance and Drama studios, a student kitchen, a radio station, green screen facilities and a performance space. The campus also includes an in-ground pool, gymnasium, and a purpose-built playground, so that students have ample opportunities to engage in dynamic physical education and have interesting and beautiful spaces in which to learn.

Through the continuous involvement, support, and generosity of an engaged community of parents, businesses, individual and corporate volunteers and sponsorships, St Lucy’s seeks to meet the needs of students in providing the best opportunities for their education.

“As our future involves building a new purpose-built centre for our students in 2023, these are exciting times. Informed by the success of our ‘Dominic Centre’, the ‘Catherine Centre’ will grow with our student cohort in preparation of their graduation in 2024”. – David Raphael, Principal

Through 85 years of continued operation surrounded by strong community support and involvement, St Lucy’s School is enriched by difference. It is a school that provides exceptional education to inspire and prepare students for a life of meaning and purpose.