Each year a range of schools are recognised and celebrated for their outstanding programs and initiatives that advance student educational achievement, wellbeing and engagement, and culture and inclusion.
Kowanyama State School, with partner Chapel Hill State School, are recognised in the QTU Bevan Brennan ‘Every Child Needs a Champion’: Realising the potential of every Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander student category for their innovative partnership that embraces diversity and creates inclusive, accessible educational settings.
This partnership bridges 2 vastly different contexts, fostering shared learning and mutual growth.
Key initiatives include a shared approach to pedagogy, with Kowanyama adopting Chapel Hill’s age-appropriate pedagogies and Chapel Hill integrating Kowanyama’s learning-on-Country model. Professional learning has seen 8 Kowanyama teachers work shadow at Chapel Hill, while 8 Chapel Hill staff have experienced the remote context of Kowanyama. Shared moderation and staff exchanges address workforce shortages, ensuring reliable non-contact time and enhancing teacher wellbeing.
This partnership benefits students through improved teaching quality, leadership development and enriched cultural understanding. Kowanyama students gain transition-to-boarding support, while Chapel Hill staff apply insights from Kowanyama’s curriculum connections to their own context.
By valuing diversity and fostering collective efficacy, this collaboration enhances student outcomes, teacher wellbeing and cultural exchange, demonstrating the power of inclusive and innovative education.
Find out more by accessing the Kowanyama State School and Chapel Hill State School Showcase placemat (PDF, 786KB).
