About our school

Illawarra Hospital School is a School for Specific Purpose located within the Paediatric Ward of Wollongong Hospital. We provide highly individualised, differentiated learning for students from Kindergarten to Year 12 during their hospital admission.

Illawarra Hospital School is dedicated to ensuring every student experiences continuous, high-quality learning. We provide an inclusive, safe and supportive environment where students remain engaged in meaningful learning and feel cared for and connected. We work collaboratively with families, carers and medical staff to plan for each student’s needs, ensuring all learners are supported to engage in learning in the way that suits them best.

Brief History

The Wollongong West Rotary Club identified the necessity for a school within the Wollongong Hospital Children's Ward in the early 1960s. Following consultations with the Hospital administration, it was determined that the solarium adjacent to the Children's Ward would be enclosed, and a teacher would be employed to facilitate the operation of the school. The initiative commenced in 1965, with the school becoming fully operational in 1966.

In 1970, the New South Wales Department of Education assumed responsibility for the operation of the school, incorporating it into its network of hospital schools, some of which had been established as early as 1923.

In 1998, the Children's Ward relocated to a newly constructed wing of the hospital. This new ward featured a purpose-built schoolroom, which included an office, storeroom, and restroom facilities.

At the close of 2017, the schoolroom was relocated within the Children's Ward. Funding from the Illawarra Community Foundation and Illawarra Convoy facilitated the refurbishment of the ward, which included the establishment of our new schoolroom.