Reform strategy
The Northern Territory plan has been developed to ensure funding is directed to support schools deliver reform that align with the priorities set out in their school improvement plans. This will be supported by initiatives at the regional/sectoral and system level that will assist to improve:
- attendance and engagement
- literacy and numeracy outcomes
- community and family engagement
- attraction and retention of quality teachers.
Summary of all the smarter school national partnership reforms (pdf 221 kb)
Key reforms at the school level are:
- Engaging Urban Students – Student wellbeing and strengthened links between home and school as key foundations for effective learning and achievement are the centrepiece of the Engaging Urban Students (EUS) effort which aims to support schools address the barriers to education experienced by disadvantaged students, including Indigenous students, living in provincial and regional (remote) areas. This reform effort is funded under the Low Socio-Economic Status School Communities and Closing the Gap National Partnerships.
- Remote Whole School Reform – The Remote Whole School Reform (RWSR) initiative provides intensive resourcing for 20 of the Northern Territory’s largest very remote school communities. This allows for the trial and evaluation, in partnership with Menzies School of Health Research, of innovative and flexible approaches to the delivery of educational services in these very challenging contexts. The centrepiece for improvement at schools involved in this reform is principals, school leaders and communities working in partnership, within a framework of high expectations, to lead to whole of school reform that results in sustainable and successful educational and life outcomes for students.
- Engaging Remote Indigenous Students – Sites involved in Engaging Remote Indigenous Students (ERIS) reform have access to focused and targeted resourcing through identified regional and/or school priorities. The centrepiece for improvement at ERIS sites is principals and communities working in partnership to lead whole of school reform that results in sustainable and successful educational and life outcomes for students. This includes support for school review and improvement planning with a focus on sustainable and successful education and life outcomes.
The Northern Territory Implementation Plan provides detail about the Territory approach. Individual school plans provide specific detail about site specific school improvement strategies, including those that are part of the Smarter Schools National Partnerships.