The Department of Education first provided education for seriously ill children in 1923 with the establishment of 4 hospital schools and the extension of Correspondence School facilities to children who were housebound for medical reasons.
Royal North Shore Hospital School was among these first hospital schools. It first operated from March 1923 till April 1926. It reopened in May 1939 operating until July 1949. It again began operating in November 1962 until the present day.
The school has always been attached to the Children's Ward but has occupied varying locations. From the early 1990's the school operated in a demountable classroom adjacent to the old Children's Ward which was situated in a separate block to the main Hospital building.
In August 2003 the children's ward was moved to the newly completed Douglas Building. The school's premises consisted of an office in the executive section and a work / storeroom situated on the ward. The ward's recreation room is set up as a group learning space when required.
The school is currently situated in the new Clinical Services Building within the grounds of the Royal North Shore Hospital. There is a school space just outside the ward which is equipped with a range of resources to support student learning and well being, including a new interactive touchscreen whiteboard. There is also a study room located on the ward.
In the 21st century, teaching and learning takes place at the bedside as well as in our flexible learning space with, among other things, the use of computers and digital technologies .
