With a focus on improving literacy, numeracy, attendance and Year 12 completion rates, Yadha Muru Foundation recently facilitated a partnership between Tennant Creek High School in the Northern Territory and Shore in Sydney. The partnership will also foster cultural exchange and mutual learning between the two school communities.
Shore brings considerable experience and resources to the very remote Tennant Creek High School. At the same time, connecting the Tennant Creek High School with the Shore community will offer valuable insights and an appreciation for cultural significance. This mutual exchange lays the groundwork for meaningful solutions to help bridge the gap in health and education outcomes.
Under the partnership, Shore’s learning support staff and psychologists will provide both remote and in-person assistance to conduct health assessments and deliver individual learning plans for students at Tennant Creek High. This tailored approach ensures that each student receives the necessary support to succeed academically. The Shore team will provide ongoing support in implementing these plans, with regular reviews and adjustments as needed.
School attendance will be encouraged through engaging events, specialist learning programs and an immersion visit to Sydney for Tennant Creek students. Participating in the immersion visit will include meeting attendance benchmarks to qualify. A range of activities will be explored to develop strong relationships between the students leading to joint activities and encouragement. Activities may include buddy classes on an ongoing basis and for project-based work, joint reading groups, establishing reading buddies and pen pals, and having older students mentoring younger students. Teachers from both schools will share best practices and embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into the curriculum through mentoring, intensives and ongoing collaboration. Tennant Creek High School staff will have access to Shore’s professional development programs, both online and in-person. Participation in Shore’s professional learning community will enable staff to develop individual PD plans and engage in “teaching sprints” for intensive skill-building.
Shore careers teachers will work with Elders, students, teachers and local training and employment organisations in Tennant Creek to expand each student’s horizons to further employment opportunities. This will be a powerful motivator for students to work at school and to complete Year 12 since it helps them develop tangible goals and a plan towards achieving those goals.
This partnership will connect the two communities, offering students and staff invaluable opportunities to learn, grow and deepen their understanding of Aboriginal and Torres Strait culture and remote education challenges, contributing to reconciliation and shared progress.
