Wii-Ma-Li (light the fire): The impact of the Connected Communities Strategy on Hillvue Public School

Hillvue Public School has an enrolment of approximately 300 students, 80 per cent of whom identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander. The school, located in Tamworth, is one of 15 Connected Communities schools in New South Wales. The Connected Communities Strategy is about developing an inclusive culture in a school and providing an environment that maximises student learning with an emphasis on high expectations, engagement and achievement. Globally, there have been significant changes to the ways that children learn and teachers teach. Our school environment and the world in which our students grow and function continues to change in so many ways! We are responsive to the influences that impact on the Hillvue Public School community as we deliver a quality and engaging education now and into the future. It is up to us to light the fire of education in our students and communities, a fire that ignites a passion for learning and valuing education and the opportunities it provides. Our journey has involved the development and implementation of many initiatives that go hand-in-hand to support improved outcomes for our students and families. At Hillvue, our focus is on innovation, opportunity and success. We believe that all students can learn and all students will learn. We have significantly improved literacy and numeracy outcomes, increased both student and parent engagement and developed a strong culture of professional learning and reflective practice.