Warrawong High School is a comprehensive, multicultural high school with a well deserved reputation for racial and social harmony. Situated in southern Wollongong, we have 506 students with 59% from a non English speaking background.
Warrawong High School is a comprehensive, multicultural high school. Our school has a strong history of achievement. Twice we have received a NSW Department of Education Director General's Award for School Achievement, students and staff have won a range of state and national awards and we are a constant focus of positive media reports.
Teachers promote high expectations among students. We focus on academic performance and help students to develop social, interpersonal and employment skills and build self esteem. We ensure students have a positive attitude and strong work ethic so they succeed as learners. Parents support our strong stance on attendance and uniform and we are widely acknowledged for the quality of our approach to student welfare and engagement. Our ultimate goal is to ensure that students develop knowledge, skills, attitudes and values which will help them become responsible citizens who make a positive contribution to Australian society.
We cater for all students. We have selective classes to extend the most talented students and smaller classes sizes across all years so all students get more individual attention. We house the region's Intensive English Centre for new arrivals and a Support Unit for students with special needs. Across all years, Warrawong students make significant performance gains because of how teachers integrate literacy and technology into classroom learning. We offer an innovative senior curriculum which has significantly increased student retention. This dual strand curriculum involves both a traditional, academic HSC and a vocational HSC to develop employment skills.
Our school has excellent facilities which support our comprehensive approach to education. In addition, students have access to cutting edge technology including seven computer rooms, a wireless network and the latest whiteboard and video conference technology.
We build school community cohesion through an extensive range of extracurricular programs with a strong focus on both sport and the creative arts including band, choir, dance and drama. Two of our most innovative programs are our annual student film festival and our permaculture gardens where students learn about an environmentally sustainable lifestyle.
Intensive English
Warrawong Intensive English Centre
The Warrawong Intensive English Centre is the only first phase English as a Second Language (ESL) Centre serving high school age students outside of the Sydney Metropolitan area.
The Warrawong Intensive English Centre was established in 1979, and became fully operational in 1980. Since then nearly 1500 students from Non-English Speaking Backgrounds (NESB) have enrolled at the Centre.
The success of the centre is greatly assisted by support from the staff of Warrawong High School and other Illawarra district schools. 100% of Warrawong Intensive English Centre's students come from non-English speaking backgrounds. Consequently, the practice of teaching the English language in Key Learning Areas (KLA) is well established.
The Warrawong Intensive English Centre is intended to provide English language instruction for first phase high school students (11-18 year olds), namely those who enter Australia with very little or no knowledge of the English language but wish to continue their schooling. The Warrawong Intensive English centre provides an educational service to our non-English speaking migrant, refugee and temporary resident community.
