Wellbeing is the Foundation of Attendance

Against a background of slumping wellbeing and subsequently school attendance, one school has reversed the trend.

Gateway Community High in Western Sydney has increased its students’ overall wellbeing by 5% YOY, with many students significantly increasing their attendance rates. This is additional to Gateway catering to students who have often struggled with school, live with mental health concerns and/or have feelings of low-self-worth.

Now in its fifth year, the Gateway Community High: Social Impact Report surveyed students on 50 wellbeing indicators, revealing the most important predictors of student well-being.  

The report shows the positive effect of Gateway’s wellbeing approach, with students also reporting year on year increases in:
·      Autonomy: Feeling one has control over their future (+8%)
·      Hope: Believing good things will happen in their future (+12%)
·      Emotional intelligence: Having strategies to help manage emotions (+8%)
·      Enjoyment: Enjoying life and having fun (+7%)
·      Supportive friendships: Having a strong friendship group (+10%)

The longitudinal study reveals the rising role of pride and purpose as predictors of student wellbeing.

“Our focus on wellbeing is helping students unlock their academic and personal potential,” Gateway Community High CEO, Theresa Collignon says.

At least one student agrees, improved wellbeing has made the prospect of going to school more digestible; “I’ve gone from hating school, to hating not going to school.”

“I have loved the school… Comparing myself to three years ago [before I started] is a massive change,” said another student.

“Gateway has changed my view of school and allowed me a space to connect with myself and others,” said another.

Students reported general lifestyle improvements including better sleep and higher levels of health management and engagement with passions and interests.

“When schools take a holistic approach to students’ engagement, it’s not just grades that improve,” says Collignon.

“By putting wellbeing at the centre of what we do, we’re changing our students’ lives - from increasing their attendance, to helping them reach their academic potential and career aspirations,” she says.

“The data shows that our focus on small class sizes, inclusivity and highly tailored support, is improving real-world outcomes for our students, who have not had their needs met in the mainstream education system.

“Every year, students come to us, having struggled with their sense of safety and belonging in large school environments. The long-term data shows that our focus on our three pillars of achieve, belong and grow consistently helps students unlock their potential,” says Ms Collignon.

A look at the areas that students place most importance on shows that ‘pride in oneself’, is currently the most influential predictor of wellbeing. This has been the top factor since 2023 and in the top five since the report’s inception in 2021. Purpose fell from second place last year to fourth place, making room for the rise of enjoyment and self-love which have become more important over the last 2-3 years.

Encouragingly, the school is also improving students’ experiences of anxiety which fell by 7% last year.

“Traditional, one-size-fits-all schooling doesn’t suit every young person. When mainstream options aren’t the right fit, Gateway Community High provides an alternative path based on students’ specific needs,” says Ms Collignon.

“When students feel supported and have strong wellbeing, they’re more likely to remain engaged in learning and achieve positive outcomes beyond school, benefits that extend to their families, communities and future employers.”

The wellbeing program at Gateway Community High is the centrepiece of the school creating a place where every student can achieve, belong and grow.

“Before we started the school, we knew we wanted to ensure a focus on the whole student, not just their academic performance or grades. That’s where our Wellbeing Framework started from - a bit of a rethink of the norms of secondary education,” says Collignon.

Six years after opening its annual independent research reports, feedback from students, families and staff ensures that their wellbeing programs are improved and developed every year.

Many students arrive at Gateway having been disengaged from their formal schooling, especially in their early secondary years. This is often due to not feeling safe, known, or confident in larger systems. So, it’s important that wellbeing is a core part of the learning day, not an add on.

“We’ve built the Gateway Community High model around small classes, high staff ratios, and consistent relationships so staff have the time to really understand each student and the individual learning plan.

“Our independent social impact research, which we have run every year since 2021, has helped us refine the program based on real evidence rather than assumptions.

“Over time, we have seen consistent, measure gains in areas like hope, autonomy, enjoyment and emotional intelligence, which tells us the school, with our wellbeing focus in particular, is doing what it was designed to do.”

When young people feel proud of their progress, even small wins, and believe their life has direction, engagement follows. The environment makes it safe to build that confidence slowly, without constant comparison based on academic performance alone.

“Our students experience real change in how they feel about themselves and about school. The data shows steady increases in wellbeing at an age where the opposite is usually expected, but what matters just as much is the day to day shift we see on campus. Attendance improves. Students start coming in more regularly. They participate, take risks with their learning, and begin planning for what comes next.”

Gateway’s principles could be transferred to any educational setting, including larger mainstream schools, but the level of implementation requires an alternative approach to the traditional patterns of education.

Things like prioritising relationships, listening to student voice, tracking wellbeing over time, and creating conditions where young people feel known are not limited to alternative settings or small schools but are harder at scale within typical mainstream structures and staffing models.

Elements such as regular wellbeing check ins, clearer links between wellbeing and learning engagement, and greater flexibility in how students move through curriculum are realistic improvements for many schools if there is policy support, and measurable data about outcomes to back them are crucial.

“One story that stays with me is a student who arrived barely attending school and planning to leave education entirely. They struggled with anxiety, had little trust in school settings, and did not see a future path. Over time, their attendance stabilised, they developed coping strategies, formed strong friendships, and completed their studies. They progressed into further education with a level of confidence they did not think was possible when they enrolled.

“Success stories like this are not about one dramatic moment. They are about steady progress. Students tell us they have gone from hating school to missing it when they are not there. For me, seeing a young person re engage with learning and feel proud of who they are is the strongest marker that the work is worth doing,” she says.