Leadership and inclusion

Eidsvold P-12 State School case study

Recently, the leadership of one small school took steps to implement a whole-school change of practice to build positive student and community wellbeing and along the way significantly enhanced learning outcomes.

Eidsvold State School is a small rural Prep to Year 12 school located in the North Burnett Regional Shire in Queensland. The school is co-ed and has a high Indigenous English Language or Dialect (IELD) population with 52% of students identifying as Indigenous. The Wakka Wakka, Wulli Wulli and Goreng Goreng language and cultural groups are represented in the Eidsvold community.

In this illustration of practice you will discover how Eidsvold State School:

  • through leadership, collaboratively developed a whole-school plan for wellbeing and improved learning outcomes for all
  • created a sense of belonging and inclusion for students, staff and community
  • achieved cross grade support programs for an inclusive school community
  • developed a positive sense of self, family and culture within the curriculum

Getting started

At the start of 2016 the leadership team decided to address areas identified as needing specific improvement in order to bring about positive change in the school:

  • School attendance – one of the lowest in the central Queensland region
  • Behaviour – much higher number of incidents than Queensland average
  • Achievement – poor to average passing grades
  • Staff morale – low

The school leadership knew which areas they needed to work on so they devised three macro-questions to guide and focus their planning for effecting change.

Guiding questions

  • How can we create a sense of belonging for students, staff and community?
  • How do we create cross grade support programs for an inclusive school community?
  • How do we develop a positive sense of self, family and culture within the curriculum?

The answer was: YUMBIN!

Yumbin is the Wakka Wakka word meaning ‘all of us’. This concept encompasses Eidsvold’s ability as a school, staff and community to work together toward the common goal of creating an inclusive, aspirational culture where students can thrive.

This concept has since become the underlying ethos of the school.

Building trust

In this video, educators demonstrate how trust exercises can be used to build relationships and support students to feel safe.

“We realised we had to instill a sense of togetherness through language and culture" Preston Parter, Principal

“Students need a safe place to be the best they can be” Preston Parter, Principal

Building cultural identity, belonging and inclusion

The leadership team focused on building this sense of togetherness by embedding a variety of programs across the curriculum. These programs work in conjunction to build specific skills and to promote a school culture that promotes wellbeing for learning:

  • Positive Behaviour for Learning revolves around the explicit teaching of expected behaviours so that learning outcomes are improved for all students.
  • Rhythm2Recovery supports students’ social and emotional development through rhythmic musical experiences.
  • Leading with Strength celebrates diversity and builds a strong sense of identity by valuing high expectation relationships
  • Rock and Water builds resilience, confidence and social skills through a program base on self-awareness
“Create programs for specific groups and individuals”

Wakka Wakka language Nursery rhyme

Watch as children have fun learning to sing nursery rhymes in language with the help from Wakka Wakka language teachers.

CELEBRATING CULTURE

Students proudly celebrate the culture, building a sense of identity and belonging.

Exploring country

The local community and country are essential components of the life and culture of the school.

“We dance, sing and learn together”

Leadership and Inclusion are key elements of the Australian Student Wellbeing Framework. Schools reflect the community around them, and can be a microcosm of the kind of society that we want students to grow up in and play their part as active, engaged and informed participants.

Student wellbeing framework

YOU MIGHT ALSO BE INTERESTED IN

Screen time

Find out how much screen time is right for your child on the website of the Office of the eSafety Commissioner.

Mouse party - Educators

Explore the effects of drugs on the brain.

Inclusive education for students with disability

This 2013 report provides an overview of inclusive education in an international and Australian context.

NSW Inclusive Practice Hub

Evidence-based practice resources for schools to support students with disability and additional needs.

Assess your classroom environment

This interactive tool recommends simple changes which can make your classroom a more inclusive space.

My mind check

A free, voluntary and evidence-based digital mental health and wellbeing check-in for Australian schools.
View more