Guarantee for success

In a year 2 English lesson, a teacher breaks down parts of a narrative structure within a story to assist students to develop their oral language skills. The teacher sets high expectations and challenging but achievable learning goals so all students can achieve success, and uses game-based activities to allow her students to break tasks down and help each other to solve problems. The teacher recognises the importance of creating learning that is relevant to the lives and experiences of her students and their families, and that an authentic learning environment will assist students consolidate their learning.

Cairns West State School has around 680 students, of which around 70 per cent identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. Following a period of low attendance, performance and expectations for its Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the school implemented an ‘Academic Success Guarantee’ program that guarantees that students who attend 95 per cent of the school year will meet or beat their year level benchmarks.