Gunbalanya School is located in the Kunbarllanjnja community (or Gunbalanya), approximately 320km east of Darwin on the eastern border of Kakadu National Park. Kunbarllanjnja is a community of approximately 1500; the main language is Kunwinjku, used by many residents as a first language. The traditional owners of the land where the community is located are the Mandjurlngunj clan; there are 25 clan groups in total. Road access via 4WD is only possible in the dry season. The community can also be accessed via air through chartered flights only and has an all weather airstrip.
Gunbalanya School provides education from preschool to middle years; it also provides education services to three Homeland Learning Centres (HLCs). The HLCs are varying distances from the school with varied accessibility (often seasonal) to each site and deliver education to small groups of students unable to attend the central school in the area. Enrolment and attendance at Gunbalanya School are variable, with highest attendance during the wet season and lower during the dry season when people are most mobile. A key feature of the school are the weekly 'Learning Together' sessions.
