Parents & Partnership

Hello, I’m Fiona Dignan, Principal and Executive Lead of Eileen O’Connor Catholic School, and I’m proud to be part of something that is not just changing lives — but building a future. Every day, I meet families with the shared hope that their child with a disability will be seen, supported, and given every opportunity to thrive. Families who want their children to learn in a place where they are accepted, respected, and truly belong.

Why Are We Building This School?

Because children like Leo (pictured) deserve it. Leo first joined our community through a CatholicCare preschool. His parents were looking for a school where he would be supported academically and emotionally, in a space that honoured his unique way of learning.

Leo was one of the first students in our support class program, created as a transition class to our mainstream parish schools. For two years, he thrived in that environment: tailored support, expert staff, and a strong connection to his faith. Today, Leo has transitioned into his local Catholic parish school — confident, capable, and ready for the next stage.

His story shows what’s possible. But we need to do more.

What We’re Building

We are building Eileen O’Connor Catholic School, a purpose-built K–12 campus in Tuggerah, designed to provide specialist, faith-based education for students with moderate cognitive disability, autism and/or complex learning needs.

This is more than a construction project. It’s a shared mission to create a school where every child is seen, known, and supported to thrive and be fully embraced and understood. Accepted for who they are and the great gifts they offer our community.

The Tuggerah campus will become the base school of Eileen O’Connor Catholic School. It will offer:

• Specialist classrooms
• Small class sizes with expert staff
• Seamless pathways from early learning to post-school transitions
• Integration with the wider Central Coast school precinct
• A place built with Catholic values at its core

This $65 million project is being funded by Catholic Schools Broken Bay, with support from government grants, and from community and corporate partners who believe in what this school means to our community.

How You Can Help

To make this vision a reality, we are inviting the community to get involved through:

• Donations and major gifts
• Business or corporate sponsorships
• Keeping connected in the progress of the school
• Most importantly, by helping us share this story

Every contribution — big or small — is a brick in the foundation of something truly special.

Why Eileen O’Connor?

This school bears the name of Eileen O’Connor, a twice exceptional young woman of deep faith and fierce compassion who dedicated her life to caring for others. Her legacy lives on in every family we support, every child we welcome, and every life transformed by this mission.

We are building more than a school. We’re building hope, inclusion, and opportunity.