Yanginanook School has opened its Secondary House at Belrose, bringing students from Kindergarten to Year 12 together on one campus after four years of secondary schooling at Forestville.
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The opening marks a new stage for the independent Christian school, which has grown from a primary school established by local families into a K-12 institution.
Senator Tony Sheldon officially opened the building on Wednesday, 23 September 2026. Dr Sophie Scamps, principal Ann Russell, and founders Donal and Gaye Carr also addressed the school community at the ceremony. The project received funding through the Capital Grants Program, with $350,000 allocated towards the building works.
Secondary Students Return to Belrose
The new Secondary House is a renovated building on the school’s Bundaleer Street property. It formerly served as the home of founders Donal and Gaye Carr and now provides facilities for students in Years 7 to 12. The original building, known as Junior House, continues to serve Kindergarten to Year 6.
Yanginanook expanded into secondary education in 2019, welcoming its first Year 7 students. As the program developed, senior students spent four years based at Forestville Baptist Church while work progressed towards establishing suitable facilities at Belrose. The school’s secondary students returned to the Belrose campus in 2026.
The move brings the school’s full K-12 community together at one site, ending the period in which its secondary students were based away from the original campus.
Students Contributed to the Building Work
The school credited Zest Building, teachers, families, tradespeople and community members for helping complete the project. Students also took part in practical work around the grounds, including building tables, concreting soccer goals, painting walls and laying turf.
Their contributions connect the latest development with the school’s history of community involvement. Yanginanook was established in 1982, when a group of families set out to create a small Christian school.
The school moved to its current Belrose property in 1985. Its original building had been relocated from Collaroy and reassembled with help from students studying carpentry at Brookvale Technical College. The name Yanginanook comes from an Aboriginal word meaning “we all together”, according to the school’s history. The phrase reflects the sense of community the school has sought to foster since its early years.
First Year 12 Cohort Marks Another Milestone
The Secondary House opening coincided with an important year for the school’s senior students. Yanginanook held its first Year 12 graduation on Friday, 25 September 2026, with five students making up the inaugural cohort.
The school’s expansion into senior secondary education began with its first Year 7 intake in 2019, followed by Stage 5 in 2021 and Stage 6 in 2025. It is registered and accredited with the NSW Education Standards Authority to provide education through to the Higher School Certificate.
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The new building provides a base for secondary students as Yanginanook continues its K-12 offering. Its opening marks a significant development for a school whose campus has been shaped over more than four decades by the efforts of its founders, families, staff and students.
Published 31-October-2026
