Catholic Schools Broken Bay will next year expand its inclusive education program for students with disability through the Eileen O’Connor Catholic School support classes.
The new classes will begin in the first term of 2026 at St Agatha’s Catholic Primary School, in Sydney’s Pennant Hills. This follows the success of similar support classes at five campuses across the diocese.
Launched in 2024, CSBB has 70 students enrolled at five Eileen O’Connor campuses in the Northern Beaches, North Shore and Central Coast.
Plans are also underway to establish a stand-alone specialist Eileen O’Connor Catholic School for students with disability at Tuggerah on the Central Coast.
“Eileen O’Connor Catholic School is a key part of Bishop Anthony Randazzo’s bold and inclusive vision for Catholic education in the diocese,” senior executive and principal Fiona Dignan said.
“It offers a connected and supportive learning pathway for students with disability from kindergarten to year 12, featuring specialist facilities and a vibrant school precinct that connects students to mainstream Catholic Schools.
“This is all about giving every child the chance to shine.”
Offering diocesan-wide Eileen O’Connor Catholic School support classes in established schools plus a specialist school is “meeting the growing needs” of families looking for small class sizes, skilled staff, and a place where they feel their children belong and can thrive, Ms Dignan said.
Enrolments for the students at St Agatha’s have already opened for 2026 for kindergarten to year 6.
The new Tuggerah campus, a $65 million project, will be funded in partnership with CSBB, government grants, community and corporate supporters.
The school is named after Eileen O’Connor, who in 1913 co-founded Our Lady’s Nurses for the Poor, or Brown Nurses, a religious order.
A courageous young woman of deep faith who suffered from a spinal disability, she dedicated her life to serving the poor and marginalised. A Servant of God, she is now on the path to canonisation.
Details: Eileen O’Connor Catholic School.
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Catholic Schools Broken Bay expands Eileen O’Connor disability support classes (CSBB)
