Gawura is a co-educational Indigenous Kindergarten to Year 6 school for children who live close to the Sydney CBD. Established in 2007 to address the well-recognised disparity in educational outcomes for Indigenous students, Gawura is St Andrew’s Cathedral School’s contribution to the national reconciliation agenda.  

Gawura currently has 40 students in deliberately small class groups where students are taught numeracy and literacy intensively for 50% of the day.  Students have a ‘buddy class’ in the St Andrew’s Cathedral School for other lessons. This helps students make friends and prepares them, even in the younger years, for the transition to secondary school.

All students are offered a place in the mainstream St Andrew’s Cathedral School for their secondary education, on full tuition scholarship.  We currently have 11 students in secondary school.  

Gawura employs four Indigenous staff members, including an Indigenous Community Liaison Officer who works with families and helps with any financial or family issues that may arise.

Gawura helps our students' overcome barriers and their socio-economic disadvantage to build a support network that will shape their identity and ensure they have the same opportunities as any other young Australian.

Our outstanding Gawura graduates
14 students have completed Year 12 since Gawura began in 2007.  One Gawura graduate has completed a PhD at ACU in in Aboriginal Education and Positive Psychology. Georgia has completed a Bachelor of Arts (Sociology) at the University of Sydney. Her twin sister Rachel studied a Bachelor of Law/Arts at the University of Sydney, and hopes to work in Community at some point in her career. They are Weilwan Women from the Gomeroi Nation. We also have an Oxford University graduate, completing a Master of Science.  Kas is a proud Mbarbarum, Kuku Yalanji, Yidinji and Gugu Yimidthirr descent.

Gawura School

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