Rationale

This resource supports schools when developing initiatives focusing on Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander student retention as part of the school Strategic Improvement Plan. It is an example only. Each school will create their own unique initiatives, to address their specific context, strategic directions, and individual needs. Fundamental elements of this Illustration of Practice example are the use of school accountability, community engagement and post school options and pathways.

An Illustration of Practice - Aboriginal Student Retention: Being responsible and accountable to your community

Bourke High School

This Illustration of Practice outlines how harnessing the energy and passions of the collective whole and trying different approaches to ongoing challenges reaps rewards.

Andrew Ryder began his journey as Executive Principal of Bourke High School in 2014 and identified early on that the school was losing approximately two thirds of their students from Years 10-12 prior to attaining the HSC. Andrew identified through student voice that they viewed employment in the town of Bourke as a more viable option for their future than completing the HSC if the opportunity arose.

The timing also couldn’t have been better for Andrew with the school’s involvement in the Maranunka Education and Employment Summit, one hundred and fifty people including prominent businesses and ministers coming to Bourke to focus on improvement Aboriginal outcomes and life opportunities. An outcome of the summit was the formation of the Bourke Aboriginal Employment Prosperity Strategy, which focused on improving post school opportunities for Aboriginal students. Andrew was invited to be part of the committee and as part of his role as Executive Principal of the school he was required to report on a regular basis to Premier and Cabinet the school’s attendance, retention and School-based apprenticeships and traineeships (SBAT) data. In addition, Andrew and the school were also accountable to major government bodies, the Department of Education’s Connected Community Strategy, the Local AECG and Council.

Andrew understood the importance of the school taking ownership, responsibility and accountability for their data and the subsequent impact. He also acknowledged that with accountability also came opportunities where the school could access more resources.

Andrew worked with his staff and they collectively identified the strengths and areas of opportunity.

The future priorities included:

• Parents/carers, Elders and the community being active participants in the design process and working side-by-side with the school in setting aspirational goals for their children.
• Stronger transition points (Pre-school- Kinder, Years 6-7 and Year 12 to post school destination).
• Work placements that went beyond opportunities in the town of Bourke.
• Establishing post school employment opportunities.

Andrew created a Deputy Principal Transition position at Bourke High School, this role responsible for embedding the priorities into the school’s School Improvement Plan (SIP). School based teams were then formed which included a curriculum, wellbeing and administration team. Both Bourke Public and High School prioritised transition points in both of their SIPs and worked together to ensure success.

Working together at all levels to genuinely prioritise HSC attainment and postschool pathways for Aboriginal students provides real benefits for students, their families and their communities.
- Andrew Ryder Executive Principal Bourke High School (2014-2020)

Knowing the data leads to new ways of thinking and improvement

The school is very proud of their achievements in such a short period of time and takes every opportunity to celebrate students who attain the HSC. For many Aboriginal students in Bourke, they are the first in their families to do so. The school showcases this achievement now with a graduation ceremony, taking the opportunity to acknowledge the significant role the Clontarf foundation and the school’s careers programs play in making this possible. Since 2015, Bourke High School’s new approaches have led to:

• 7 ex-students being employed as School Learning Support Officers (SLSOs) which has made a big difference in regards to the way in which to school has been viewed as part of the community.
• 4 students who had previously been disengaged in learning have taken part in a Certificate II construction at TAFE through a variation rather than a whole school exemption.
• 1 ex-student returned to school due to his desire to gain the HSC. He became a role model for the other students due to the school’s flexibility. The student was quoted as stating that if it wasn’t for Andrew he would most likely be in jail.
• NSW TAFE and NSW Police have assisted in supporting students with Certificate II in public administration.
• An improved relationship with Readi, an employment agency in Bourke, who are now an integral part of school. Readi links students up with various projects in the community. Work experience placements now focus on employers who are role models and mentor students into the work environment.
• The school now is maintaining three quarters of their Year 10-12 cohorts through to attaining the HSC.

Bourke High School's yearly post school destination pathway record: