LOCATIONS — NSW
BlendED New South Wales
Opening in Term 1 2027 - applications now open
Find out if BlendED NSW is right for your young person
BlendED NSW is a Specialist School* for young people in Years 7–9 who need a different kind of school. We blend online and in-person learning with genuine wraparound support, and there’s no cost to families.
*Subject to regulatory approval
BLENDED NSW — AT A GLANCE
BLENDED NSW
AT A GLANCE
IS IT RIGHT FOR YOU?
For young people who need extra support & flexibility
BlendED NSW is an alternative, flexible School for young people in Years 7–9 who need a different kind of school. We blend online and in-person learning with genuine wraparound support, and there’s no cost to families.
We support young people whose access to traditional schooling has been disrupted, often by exclusion, anxiety, trauma, mental health challenges, or neurodivergence such as ADHD or autism.
No diagnosis or referral is needed. If your young person could benefit from a flexible, relationship-first learning environment, we’d love to hear from you.
“School can’t” describes the very real barriers that can stop a young person from attending school, even when they genuinely want to. It’s not defiance or a lack of motivation, it’s often linked to anxiety, trauma, mental health challenges, or past experiences that have made school feel unsafe.
For some young people, this might look like difficulty leaving the house or feeling unwell before school. For others, it can mean extended absence or a loss of confidence and connection.
We don’t see this as a behaviour problem to fix. Whether at the start of their journey with us or throughout, we meet young people where they’re at, and work in genuine partnership with them and their families every step of the way. For many young people, this also means no uniforms, no crowded classrooms, and no pressure to engage in a particular way.
BlendED is built so every young person feels seen, respected and supported, not as an exception, but as the starting point. This includes:
- First Nations partnerships — valuing cultural knowledge and connection to country, language, and community
- Neurodivergent and disability inclusion — reducing pressure and adapting to individual needs and strengths
- LGBTQIA+ affirming spaces — safe, respectful environments where young people can be themselves without judgement
HOW IT WORKS
Flexible, supported, and built around young people
BlendED New South Wales combines online learning, in-person gatherings, and dedicated wellbeing support, so young people can re-engage with education in a way that actually fits them.
Live, teacher-led online face-to-face learning
The BlendED Model combines teacher‑led online face‑to‑face learning with planned, supported in‑person engagement from teachers, wellbeing workers, and allied health professionals. This approach supports young people to re‑engage with learning in ways that feel safe, structured, and achievable.
Wraparound wellbeing support
Teachers lead online classes, while wellbeing workers provide support around each young person. This includes regular outreach visits, home check-ins to maintain consistent connection and care, and support for emotional safety and mental health needs as they arise.
Together, this means every young person has academic and wellbeing support working in step with each other.
Individual Learning Plans, overseen by teachers
Every young person has an Individual Learning Plan (ILP), co-designed with them and their parents and carers. The ILP guides academic, social, and wellbeing goals, and is reviewed and adjusted as their needs change.
Alongside this, we offer a full curriculum aligned with the Australian Curriculum, including English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Technologies, Health & Physical Education, The Arts, and Auslan. Inquiry learning brings Science, Humanities, and Technologies together with Civics and Economics, helping build practical, life-ready skills. Learning also includes hands-on projects that build real-world skills for life, work and further study.
Planned Gatherings & excursions
We offer regular, low-pressure gatherings to help young people build confidence, routine, and social connection. Gatherings are held locally, grouped by geographical area, so young people aren’t travelling long distances to take part. As enrolments grow in an area, we recruit a local wellbeing worker so we can run a gathering there. Wellbeing workers also meet young people in the community, wherever they feel safe and comfortable.
No fees · devices & internet included
There’s no cost to families, ever. BlendED National is funded by the State and Federal Governments, which means devices are provided, gatherings are free, and no diagnosis or referral is needed to enrol. We’re fully registered as a Specialist School in Queensland, so families can feel confident enrolling without financial or administrative barriers standing in the way.
Operation By Principles (OBP)
Operation By Principles (OBP) is our relational, trauma-informed framework for understanding and responding to behaviour. It focuses on safety, connection, unconditional positive regard, and common ground.
The principles inform how our community interacts with each other, encouraging positive, genuine, meaningful working relationships between staff, young people, and their families.
These four principles are:
In practice, this means BlendED doesn’t use detentions, suspensions, or punitive responses. If a young person doesn’t show up to an online class, we check in, not to enforce attendance, but to ask if they’re okay and what support they might need. If something difficult happens, we work through it together with the young person and their family, rather than excluding them.
These principles aren’t just values on a page, they shape every interaction, from how staff respond when a young person is struggling, to how classes and gatherings are run day to day.
WHAT MAKES US DIFFERENT
A different kind of school
BlendED NSW blends online and in-person learning with genuine wraparound support — education led by each young person, at their own pace, without pressure, meeting them exactly where they’re at.
- Blended education — online and in-person
- Wraparound support around each young person
- Led by the young person, at their own pace
- No pressure — we meet them where they’re at
- Teacher, wellbeing worker and allied health team
- The same registered Australian Curriculum
- Live online and flexible sessions
- Individual Learning Plans (ILPs)
- Youth worker and allied health support
- Gatherings and excursions
- Pastoral care and community connection
Sound like the right fit for your young person? Join us at an upcoming information session or book a meeting to start your application.
LOCAL TO NSW
Made for NSW young people
BlendED NSW is part of a national model, brought to life locally with NSW staff, gatherings, and support. We’ll be establishing hubs across the state as enrolments are processed. Our in-person Waterford program is based in Wollongong.
BlendED NSW supports young people across the whole state!
BlendED NSW supports young people across the whole state!
OUR TEAM
The people behind BlendED NSW
Every young person at BlendED New South Wales is supported by a team who know them, and know the local community.
Adam Rafferty
Principal
Our teachers lead online classes and work alongside wellbeing workers in a teaching partnership, supporting each young person's learning as well as their wellbeing. Every teacher works from each young person's Individual Learning Plan, adjusting pace and approach as needed.
Wellbeing workers support young people outside of class time, through gatherings, outreach visits at home, and regular check-ins. They build trust over time and help young people feel safe enough to re-engage, working alongside teachers to support the whole picture.
This also extends to mental health and emotional safety. That might mean one-on-one support, helping plan a gradual return to gatherings, or connecting families with allied health professionals when needed.
Teachers, wellbeing workers, and allied health professionals work as one team around each young person, not in separate lanes. Updates and goals are shared through each young person's Individual Learning Plan, so everyone involved in a young person's day stays on the same page.
Because our staff are based locally, they also bring real knowledge of the NSW community, the services available, the geography, and what gatherings and support actually look like on the ground.
Waterford program
The Waterford program is our small, fully in-person program for young people who are twice-exceptional, meaning they have high intellectual potential that is often masked by neurodivergence, learning difficulties, or severe anxiety. Based in Wollongong, it offers a highly supported, small-group environment with a structured daily timetable on campus.
Applications for 2027 are now open, with limited places available. Book a meeting to find out if Waterford could be the right fit for your young person.
CHILD SAFETY & POLICIES
Keeping every young person safe
Every young person who comes to BlendED deserves to feel safe, respected, and heard. Below you’ll find our national policies alongside NSW specific commitments and contacts, so you always know who to reach and what protections are in place.
These policies and documents apply across all BlendED National locations:
More policies coming soon
Statement of commitment to child safety
This commitment is made nationally and applies to every BlendED location, including New South Wales. Read our full Statement of Commitment to Child Safety.
Prioritising the safety of vulnerable young people
We give particular attention to the needs of vulnerable young people, including those who are First Nations, living with disability or mental health needs, from culturally or linguistically diverse backgrounds, unable to live at home, or who identify as LGBTQIA+.
More information coming soon.
David Gall
Principal
BlendED Queensland
Nat Kilburn
Program Director,
Teaching and Learning
BlendED Queensland
Mark Vernon
Program Director,
Wellbeing
BlendED Queensland
Child Safety coming soon.
Contact BlendED Queensland
Phone: 07 3522 2944
Address: Level 1 The Mackillop Centre,
2199 Sandgate Road
Boondall QLD 4034
Email: admin.qld@blendednational.edu.au
Feedback & complaints
We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all young people. If you’d like to share a suggestion, compliment or concern, please get in touch below.
STILL NEED MORE INFO?
Frequently asked questions
Have questions about BlendED NSW? Below are some of the most common queries from parents, carers, and young people. For more questions, visit our FAQs page.
What is a flexible school?
A flexible school is a registered school that adapts to how a young person actually learns and engages, rather than expecting them to fit a fixed timetable, classroom or pace. At BlendED, that means combining online learning, in-person gatherings and wellbeing support, all built around each young person’s Individual Learning Plan.
Is BlendED NSW a registered school?
Yes. BlendED NSW is a registered Specialist School and follows the full Australian Curriculum. This is still subject to regulatory approval.
Who can participate in BlendED NSW?
BlendED NSW will support young people in Years 7–9 (expanding to Year 10 in the future) who have experienced challenges engaging with traditional schooling due to anxiety, trauma, mental health concerns, or other complex needs.
We enrol young people from across the entire state of NSW. Wherever you are located, you are welcome to explore whether BlendED may be the right fit for your young person.
Young people do not need a formal diagnosis or referral to apply.
Does a young person need a diagnosis to enrol?
No diagnosis or referral is needed. Many of our young people have ADHD, autism, PDA, other neurodivergence, disability, or learning difficulties, diagnosed or not. Our team, including wellbeing staff, work with families to develop tailored plans that reduce anxiety and increase engagement.
How do online classes work?
Classes are live and teacher-led, delivered online in small groups so young people can join from wherever feels safe and manageable. Teachers work alongside wellbeing workers, so support continues beyond the classroom, through check-ins, gatherings, and outreach as well.
What subjects are offered at BlendED National?
BlendED National offers a full curriculum aligned with the Australian Curriculum, including: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Technologies, Health & Physical Education, The Arts, and Auslan. Inquiry integrates Science, Humanities, and Technologies, with Civics and Economics to build life and job-ready skills.
Can young people attend part-time?
All young people who are enrolled at BlendED National are enrolled full-time. Engagement is outlined in a student’s Individual Learning Plan (ILP). Some students may start gradually and slowly increase their participation. We walk alongside them at their pace.
Is there any cost to attend BlendED NSW?
No. BlendED NSW is fully funded by the State and Federal Governments, so there’s no cost to families, ever. Devices and internet are provided, and gatherings are free too.
Do we have to travel far for gatherings?
Gatherings will be held in hubs established across New South Wales, based on where applications come from. As enrolments grow in each region, we’ll establish accessible gathering locations to support young people close to home.
How do I enrol at BlendED NSW?
Start your application by booking a meeting. Our enrolments team will then talk through whether BlendED is the right fit before any formal enrolment steps begin.
Feedback and complaints
We are committed to the safety and wellbeing of all young people. If you’d like to share a suggestion, compliment or concern, please get in touch below.
READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP?
We’re here to answer your questions
Start with an info session, get in touch to learn more. Ready to apply? Book a meeting.
*BlendED NSW is subject to regulatory approval. We’re processing applications now, with formal enrolment confirmed once this final step is complete in the coming weeks.
Admin contact for BlendED NSW:
- 07 3522 2944
- admin.nsw@blendednational.edu.au
- Level 2 325 -327 Crown Street, Wollongong NSW 2500
These details are for admin enquiries only, not enrolments.