Following an extensive seven-week community consultation process, the Department of Education has confirmed that Mackellar Girls Campus will continue to operate as a single-sex Year 7-12 campus.
The consultation, which ran from August 2 to September 20, sought community input on potential changes to secondary school configurations in the Northern Beaches region. After carefully reviewing feedback from students, parents, carers, and staff, the decision has been made to maintain Mackellar Girls Campus in its current format.
The P&C Executive appreciates the comprehensive engagement of our school community during this consultation process. The outcome reflects the strong preferences and input of our stakeholders. When asked a hypothetical question about remaking the decision of the type of high school they would like to enrol in, 46.51% of students preferred single-sex schooling. Of Mackellar parents, 56.98% preferred single-sex schools. Our girls, when surveyed about what was most important to them at their school, rated the culture and sense of community and academic performance highest – with over 65% of students rating either option a 4 or 5. Similarly, when asked about the most important factor in their decision making 20% of students chose academic performance.
In light of this outcome, Mackellar Girls Campus and Balgowlah Boys Campus are committed to exploring enhanced collaborative opportunities between their Parent & Citizens Committees, fostering stronger community connections while maintaining their respective single-sex educational approaches.
Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Senior Campus will transition from a Year 11 –12 senior campus to a Year 7–12 campus, accepting Year 7 and Year 9 in 2026 along with Years 11 and 12 students, with the school officially operating as a Years 7-12 campus from 2027.
