All NSW public school students have a right to an inclusive learning environment and to feel happy and safe at school.
Aboriginal student support
We are committed to closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. We know that we need to learn about, nurture and value the cultural identity of our Aboriginal students to help them be successful learners.
We welcome Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander family members, parents and carers, as well as community members to our school so that we can get to know each other, learn about the local Aboriginal community and develop shared goals and plans for Aboriginal students.
The Aboriginal Education Policy confirms the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to improvement in educational outcomes and wellbeing for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
As stated elsewhere on this site, our school acknowledges the traditional custodians of the land on which our school is built, the Cabrigal People of the Dharug Nation. We pay our respects to elders past and present, and welcome all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people and families to our school community.
Lurnea High School remains committed to closing the gap in academic achievement, employment and health outcomes and cultural understanding that exists between Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in Australia. We have a number of strategies and programs to assist us in ensuring that the school's values of respect, responsibility, fairness, tolerance and understanding are understood and valued by all through developing real working partnerships with the Aboriginal community within and outside of the school.
Norta Norta
Lisa Smith works at the school as our Norta Norta tutor. She works closely with students in developing their literacy and numeracy skills by providing in class support. We also have a number of year 11 and 12 students receiving Individual Student Sponsorship support with managing and completing assessments and developing study programs.
Kari Aboriginal Resources
Kari continues to support students and families in South Western Sydney. They work closely with the school to ensure that support is tailored to student and family need. Kari offers a range of in school and school holiday programs as well as scholarships for senior students. Kari also runs the Vocal Identification Program, which gives students opportunities to develop various aspects of vocal performance.
South West Sydney Aboriginal Education
Several students in recent years have received $500 regional scholarships. These were based on applications which included careers focus, community involvement and representation of the Aboriginal community.
TAFE Hands On
Each year we have students involved in the TAFE Hands On courses. These courses run one day a week for two school terms at Miller TAFE and allow students to work with TAFE teachers and other high school students to develop skills in a variety of trade based areas.
Closing the Gap
We have initiated a number of projects aimed at Closing the Gap in health outcomes and cultural understanding such as fortnightly health workshops run by Health Professionals through Maramali, the Aboriginal Health office at Liverpool hospital. These workshops cover topics from healthy lifestyles and body image to dealing with mental health, stress and workload. Additionally, we have initiated an Indigenous performance group with Aboriginal students working alongside recently arrived migrant and refugee students to learn about Aboriginal music and dance. Finally, we acknowledge important annual events such as Sorry Day, Reconciliation Week, Mabo Day and NAIDOC week with events around the school, including the establishment of our Reconciliation walk and bush tucker garden.
Multicultural education
Our school welcomes students, families and community members from all cultural backgrounds. We appreciate difference and diversity and aim to provide a culturally inclusive and responsive environment that benefits all students.
Our teaching and learning programs develop intercultural understanding, promote positive relationships and enable all students to participate as active Australian and global citizens. Our school fosters student wellbeing and community harmony by implementing anti-racism and anti-discrimination strategies that encourage engagement by parents and carers from all backgrounds.
The Multicultural Education Policy outlines the NSW Department of Education’s commitment to providing opportunities that enable all students to achieve equitable education and social outcomes and participate successfully in our culturally diverse society.
The Anti-Racism Policy confirms the department’s commitment to rejecting all forms of racial discrimination in NSW public schools and eliminating expressions of racism in its learning and working environments.
For more information refer to:
Supporting English language learners
Learning English is essential for success at school and effective participation in Australian society. We can provide specialist support to help students learning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).
For more information refer to: EAL/D education.
Supporting refugee students
Schools offer safety, support and security to help refugee students adjust to life in Australia and participate successfully in education. Targeted support strategies are provided to assist refugee students in NSW public schools.
For more information refer to: Supporting refugee students.
Learning support
The school’s learning and support team plays a key role in ensuring we meet the specific needs of students with additional learning and support needs, including disability.
The team:
- supports teachers in identifying and responding to the additional learning needs of students
- facilitates and coordinates a whole-school approach to improving the learning outcomes of every student
- coordinates planning processes and resourcing for students with additional learning and support needs
- designs and implements the support required to build teacher capacity so that all students access quality learning
- develops collaborative partnerships with the school, parents and carers, as well as other professionals and the wider school community.
For more information on programs and services to help students with additional learning and support needs visit Disability, learning and support.
What is a School Learning Support team?
A learning support team is a whole school planning and support mechanism. It is formed with the purpose of addressing the learning support needs of students through the coordination, development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of educational programs.
A prime function of a learning Support Team is to ensure that the needs of all students in the school are being met.
A key function of the Learning Support team is the facilitation of collaborative planning between teachers, support staff, parents and students.
Lurnea High School Homework Centre
Lurnea High School operates a Homework Centre providing support for young people in our school. The centre provides a positive environment for students to complete homework and assignments. While at the centre the students are able to use resources that may not be available to them in the home environment such as computers, printers and books. Most importantly, student receive help to understand and complete their homework and assignments from dedicated teachers in a range of subjects.
The centre operates two afternoons each week on Tuesday and Thursday from 3-5pm at no cost to students and is held in the school library. A light afternoon tea is provided by the school.
Students who are interested in attending the centre need to complete an application and submit it to the Homework Centre Coordinator.
Anti-bullying
Bullying of any kind is not acceptable in NSW schools.
The NSW anti-bullying website brings together information and resources for teachers, students, parents and carers. It helps to identify, prevent and respond effectively to student bullying, including online bullying. It provides information about online safety and what you can do if your child has been bullied, witnessed bullying or been involved in bullying.
For more information on anti-bullying strategies for NSW public schools refer to the department’s Bullying of Students – Prevention and Response Policy.
For information on racial bullying and anti-racism education for NSW public schools refer to:
Our teachers use a variety of strategies to assess student learning.
Student leadership
Student leadership helps young people find their voices, participate in decision-making, and understand their rights and responsibilities as active citizens. It helps students have a real impact on their learning and school environment and prepares them to participate meaningfully in their community.
Students can be leaders in the classroom, through their actions in the playground, through their support for others, or their involvement in academic, sporting, cultural or local community events or projects.
For more information about opportunities in NSW public schools visit Student voice and leadership.