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Engaging with community

Description

 

Effective and holistic curriculum planning requires collaboration with families, local First Nations Australian communities and the wider school community. Schools must communicate curriculum content and expectations clearly to families. Schools should ensure families understand how to support their children’s learning in ways that suit their diverse backgrounds, aspirations and capacities. Partnering with First Nations communities ensures their cultures and histories are authentically embedded in the school curriculum, fostering cultural understanding and supporting reconciliation.

 

The wider school community refers to the people, businesses, services and organisations that support the same local community. When schools work in partnership with their broader community, students make authentic connections between classroom learning and the world beyond school. At the same time, community perspectives enrich curriculum implementation.

 

Engaging with local communities is essential when creating a well-rounded and clearly communicated whole-school curriculum plan focused on improving outcomes for students. 

 

Key points

  • School and curriculum leaders build and sustain meaningful partnerships with families, First Nations communities and the broader school community. These partnerships ensure that whole-school curriculum planning and implementation are inclusive, contextually responsive, and strengthened by community voice and knowledge.
  • When schools work with families, they support the process of making learning relevant and meaningful for students.
  • Building connections with local First Nations communities when addressing curriculum content promotes cultural understanding and respect.
  • When schools partner with broader community groups, they connect classroom learning with the social, civic, professional and cultural dimensions of community life. 

Overview

 

When considering approaches to community engagement, schools need to be clear on the purpose for the engagement, who they will engage with and how they will engage.

 

Working with families involves carefully planning how to communicate curriculum content and expectations in a clear and accessible way. This ensures that families understand what their children are learning and how they can be involved. Collaboration includes providing information about the learning areas and assessment methods while also recognising the diverse needs, backgrounds and capacities of families. Schools decide on their preferred approach to help families engage meaningfully in their child's education.

 

It is important for schools to work respectfully with local First Nations Australian communities to ensure that their cultures and histories are authentically embedded in the curriculum. Collaborating with these communities helps create meaningful learning experiences that align with curriculum requirements. It also fosters cultural understanding and supports reconciliation by valuing and respecting First Nations knowledge and contributions. ACARA’s FIRST framework provides schools and teachers with practical and culturally appropriate support when engaging with First Nations Australian communities.

 

Engaging with the wider school community enriches curriculum implementation by connecting classroom learning to real-world contexts. The community includes local businesses and industry, local government, service groups and cultural organisations. These partnerships provide authentic experiences, resources and expertise that deepen student understanding and make learning relevant. Collaborating with community stakeholders helps schools address local priorities and create pathways that prepare students for life beyond school

School and curriculum leaders may also consider other curriculum leadership aspects to support the development of a whole-school approach to engaging with community. Consider the following questions when making decisions about existing approaches and staff needs when developing a whole-school approach to implementing the Australian Curriculum.

 

Building teacher capability

How would engaging with local community groups build teacher capability in developing curriculum-focused learning based in real-world contexts?

 

Using the Australian Curriculum

How does effective engagement with the community include opportunities to communicate curriculum expectations to all stakeholders?

 

Sequencing learning

How do teachers plan to include opportunities for community engagement when sequencing learning?

 

Including all learners

In what ways will effective community engagement support including all learners in the whole-school approach to curriculum planning?

 

Aligning curriculum and assessment

In what ways will approaches to assessment be communicated to families?

 

Planning for multi-age classes

How are planning decisions and approaches to curriculum implementation in multi-age classes communicated to the wider school community?

 

Evaluating resources

How will decisions about the selection and implementation of resources be communicated to the school community?

Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle

 

The Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle is a practical framework designed to support continuous improvement. It encourages thoughtful engagement by guiding leaders through 3 key phases.

 

Reflect: this phase invites leaders to pause and consider current practices, beliefs and outcomes. It promotes deeper understanding by asking, “What is happening?” and “Why is it happening?” before moving to action.

 

Act: based on insights gained through reflection, this phase focuses on intentional decision-making and implementation. It asks, “What will we do?” and “How will we do it?” to ensure actions are purposeful and aligned with school priorities.

 

Evaluate: after action is taken, this phase supports review and learning. It prompts leaders to ask, “What changed?” and “What did we learn?” to assess impact and inform future cycles of improvement.

Figure 1: The Reflect–Act–Evaluate cycle

Guiding questions

 

The guiding questions in the accordions below are structured around the ‘Reflect–Act–Evaluate' cycle to help school and curriculum leaders reflect on current approaches to curriculum implementation and lead discussions with teachers. School and curriculum leaders should select from these questions to support decision-making and discussions when reflecting on, actioning and evaluating a whole-school approach to community engagement.

Reflect How well do our current school-based and external resources help families understand the curriculum and support learning?

 

Act How can we create and share clear, accessible resources, using local and external materials, to strengthen family engagement?

 

Evaluate How do we know our resources were relevant, easy to use, and improved families’ understanding of the curriculum?

 

 

Reflect How do we know our engagement strategies are effective in building strong school-to-home partnerships?

 

Act What processes can we use to build and strengthen family engagement across the school?

 

Evaluate How do we know our family engagement strategies strengthen school-to-home partnerships?

 

 

Reflect How do we support and include families from different cultural and language backgrounds?

 

Act What inclusive practices can we use to engage families from diverse cultural and language backgrounds?

 

Evaluate In what ways have we ensured all families have been supported and included?

Reflect Do we actively involve local First Nations communities in curriculum implementation and in supporting student learning?

 

Act How can we establish respectful, reciprocal partnerships with First Nations communities to inform curriculum and support student learning?

 

Evaluate How effectively are First Nations voices and views embedded in curriculum planning and school–community engagement?

 

 

Reflect How do we support teachers and educators to identify connections across the learning areas to the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority? 

 

Act How can we support teachers to make meaningful curriculum connections to the cross-curriculum priority?

 

Evaluate What evidence do we have that teachers are consistently making connections to the priority across all learning areas?

Reflect Do we have a clear understanding of the local organisations, businesses and services that can contribute to curriculum implementation in our school’s context?

 

Act How can we identify and build partnerships with community groups that align with our curriculum goals?

 

Evaluate What processes have we established to identify and partner with the local groups and organisations that could contribute to curriculum implementation? 

 

 

Reflect What opportunities are there for students to connect classroom learning with real-world contexts through community engagement?

 

Act How can we provide regular, authentic experiences of community engagement to enhance student learning?

 

Evaluate To what extent have we intentionally engaged with our local community to provide real-world context to learning?

AITSL standards

 

School leaders play a crucial role in supporting and including community engagement in whole-school curriculum planning. A leader who prioritises strong relationships with families, local First Nations Australian communities and community groups ensures that education is inclusive, culturally responsive and reflective of the diverse needs of students.

 

The information that follows outlines the relevant standards from the Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership (AITSL) Australian Professional Standard for Principals, Australian Professional Standards for Middle Leaders and the Australian Professional Standards for teachers: Lead career stage. These standards have been identified to support school and curriculum leaders in implementing whole school approaches to engaging with community.

Professional Practice: Leading teaching and learning

  • Principals create a positive culture of challenge and support, enabling effective teaching that promotes enthusiastic, independent learners, committed to lifelong learning. Principals have a key responsibility for developing a culture of effective teaching, for leading, designing and managing the quality of teaching and learning and for students’ achievement in all aspects of their development. They set high expectations for the whole school through careful collaborative planning, monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of learning. Principals set high standards of behaviour and attendance, encouraging active engagement and a strong student voice.

 

Professional Practice: Leading improvement, innovation and change

  • Principals work with others to produce and implement clear, evidence-based improvement plans and policies for the development of the school and its facilities. They recognise that a crucial part of the role is to lead and manage innovation and change to ensure the vision and strategic plan is put into action across the school and that its goals and intentions are realised.

 

Professional Practice: Engaging and working with the community

  • Principals embrace inclusion and help build a culture of high expectations that takes account of the richness and diversity of the wider school community and the education systems and sectors. They develop and maintain positive partnerships with students, families and carers and all those associated with the wider school community. They create an ethos of respect taking account of the spiritual, moral, social and physical health and wellbeing of students. They promote sound lifelong learning from preschool through to adult life. They recognise the multicultural nature of Australia’s people. They foster understanding and reconciliation with Indigenous cultures. They recognise and use the rich and diverse linguistic and cultural resources in the school community. They recognise and support the needs of students, families and carers from communities facing complex challenges.

 

Australian Professional Standard for Principals

Core standards

 

Standard 4 Coordinating high-impact teaching and learning

  • Middle leaders can have responsibilities for coordinating the delivery of quality programs of instruction to build students’ content knowledge and skills with high expectations of student progress and achievement. Practices within this standard align curriculum, pedagogy and assessment to meet learner needs and maximise learning progress for all learners. In demonstrating the practices described in this standard the middle leader will draw, in particular, on deep knowledge of evidence based teaching practices combined with educational insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn. They will also draw on their knowledge of curriculum content, progressions and assessment to enable student learning progress to be monitored and improved over time.

 

4b Pedagogy
  • Prioritising the use of effective, evidence based teaching strategies and application of insights from cognitive science and other research on how students learn, to optimise systematic deep learning through effective pedagogical practices.

 

Standard 5 Leading improvement in teaching practice

  • Leading improvement through collaboration and teamwork is central to the work of middle leaders. Middle leaders are often key to implementing the school’s instructional improvement agenda, using their understanding of research evidence about improvement combined with their deep knowledge of school data. They work collaboratively with staff to implement actions to improve teaching and learning and cultivate a sense of collective efficacy. Middle leaders have a strong focus on continuous professional learning for themselves and their staff, with a focus on supporting classroom implementation of evidence-based practice. They provide support and challenge through provision of constructive feedback while collaborating with staff to improve practice and amplify impact which may occur through a model of mentoring, coaching and professional inquiry.

 

5c Collaborative practice
  • Leveraging collaborative practice to monitor and improve the impact of teaching on student learning and wellbeing.

 

Standard 6 Managing effectively

  • Middle leaders use their management knowledge and skills to optimise processes, systems and resources to enable a clear focus on improving student learning. Middle leaders work strategically in their sphere of influence to lead the implementation of the school’s strategic agenda by planning and scheduling implementation strategies. They identify evidence-based team strategic goals and establish mechanisms for accountability, negotiating the adoption of these goals with the principal and other senior school leaders. They provide advice and information to the principal and other senior leaders and share insights from the staff they lead and from collected evidence about the effectiveness of operational and strategic matters.
  • Middle leaders implement required policies and processes ethically and transparently, ensuring procedural fairness. Middle leaders implement performance and development processes and performance management processes to maximise staff performance. Middle leaders ensure staff and student routines are fit for purpose and consistently implemented to prioritise instructional time. Middle leaders strategically and transparently manage resources to meet the priority goals of their school and the diverse needs of their students. They increase the time available to teachers by leading the use of technology to enhance teaching and learning and streamline administrative and record keeping systems and processes. Middle leaders recognise teaching staff as the single most powerful in-school influence on student learning and ensure a safe, supportive and orderly learning environment where all students are included and diversity is valued.

 

6b Students, parents/carers and the community
  • Building productive relationships with students, parents/carers and the community to enhance student learning and wellbeing.

 

Australian Professional Standards for Middle Leaders

Professional knowledge

 

Standard 1 Know students and how they learn

 

1.1 Physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students
  • Lead colleagues to select and develop teaching strategies to improve student learning using knowledge of the physical, social and intellectual development and characteristics of students.

 

1.3 Students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds
  • Evaluate and revise school learning and teaching programs, using expert and community knowledge and experience, to meet the needs of students with diverse linguistic, cultural, religious and socioeconomic backgrounds.

 

1.4 Strategies for teaching Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students
  • Develop teaching programs that support equitable and ongoing participation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students by engaging in collaborative relationships with community representatives and parents/ carers.

 

Professional practice

 

Standard 3 Plan for and implement effective teaching and learning

 

3.7 Engage parents/carers in the educative process
  • Initiate contextually relevant processes to establish programs that involve parents/carers in the education of their children and broader school priorities and activities.

 

Professional engagement

 

Standard 7 Engage professionally with colleagues, parents/carers and the community

 

7.3 Engage with the parents/carers
  • Identify, initiate and build on opportunities that engage parents/ carers in both the progress of their children’s learning and in the educational priorities of the school.

 

7.4 Engage with professional teaching networks and broader communities
  • Take a leadership role in professional and community networks and support the involvement of colleagues in external learning opportunities.

 

Australian Professional Standards for Teachers Lead Career Stage

Engaging with families

 

Connection and communication with families ensure that learning is relevant to students’ lives, and that parents and carers can support their children's education effectively. When schools establish strong relationships with families, they gain valuable insights into students' backgrounds, strengths and needs. This leads to a more inclusive learning environment. By fostering open communication, schools can better understand the unique contributions families bring. This creates a supportive learning environment that encourages student success both in and outside the classroom.

 

National support for schools

 

All schools have approaches to engaging with families that are specific to their context and include a range of activities and modes of communication. Research demonstrates that parental engagement in learning has a significant impact on outcomes for students. The Australian Government Family-School Partnership Framework provides the following descriptions of parent involvement and parent engagement:

  • Parent involvement in schools includes attending events, volunteering in class or other activities, and serving on school councils and parent committees.
  • Parent engagement in learning encompasses parent involvement in schooling as well as a broader range of activities, including parent support for children’s learning at home, at school and in community contexts – recognising the cultural and social diversity of families and communities.

Engaging with families about the curriculum and how they can support their child’s learning is a first step in building positive relationships between school and home. School leaders make decisions about how this is done in their context. There is a range of national resources that may help in the decision-making process. More information about approaches to building effective partnerships with families and communities can be found on the Australian Government Supporting Family-School-Community Partnerships for Learning website.

 

The Australian Government funded cross-sectoral research and resource development on effective parent engagement for primary and secondary schools. The resources developed include case studies, workshops and professional learning resources for principals and staff in both secondary and primary school settings. More information about these resources can be found on the Gearing up for parent engagement in student learning website.

 

Parent/carer information resources

 

ACARA has developed parent/carer information resources to support schools in communicating information about curriculum content and expectations to families. These resources include family-friendly summaries of the intent and focus for learning in each learning area across F–10. This information is provided both as a webpage and download document that schools can share with families or adjust to form the basis of parent/carer information sessions. Download documents are available in English, Arabic, Chinese (simplified), Chinese (traditional), Hindi, Punjabi and Vietnamese. More parent/carer information can be found on the Parent/carer information page.

 

First Nations Australian communities

 

School and curriculum leaders play an important role in supporting teachers to strengthen their practice in developing and delivering culturally responsive teaching and learning programs aligned to the Australian Curriculum. This includes reflecting on current approaches and considering how respectful collaboration with local First Nations communities builds understanding of the significant contributions of First Nations Australian histories and cultures on local, national and global scales.

 

The Australian Curriculum provides multiple opportunities for teachers to include First Nations Australian histories and cultures in teaching and learning plans. These include the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority, specifically designed content descriptions and content elaborations across learning areas.

 

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority

 

School and curriculum leaders can support teachers in engaging with First Nations Australians when planning curriculum by emphasising the 9 organising ideas in the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority. The organising ideas provide a framework for including First Nations knowledges, histories and cultures into all areas of learning. More information about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Histories and Cultures cross-curriculum priority can be found on the Understand this cross-curriculum priority page.

 

Learning area content descriptions

 

School and curriculum leaders may support teachers by highlighting content in the learning areas that allows all students to deepen their knowledge of Australia by learning about the world’s oldest continuous living cultures. For example, the English curriculum explores the richness of First Nations Australian voices as students appreciate, analyse, interpret and evaluate a range of literary texts. This range of texts includes the oral narrative traditions and literature of First Nations Australians. These are addressed in content descriptions in the Literature and context sub-strand from Foundation to Year 10. Opportunities to engage with First Nations authors and illustrators add depth to learning experiences and reinforce the understanding that contemporary First Nations Australian communities are strong, resilient, rich and diverse. All learning areas include content descriptions or elaborations that enable students to deepen their understanding of First Nations Australians.

 

FIRST framework

 

ACARA has developed the FIRST framework to support teachers to facilitate culturally responsive and curriculum-aligned learning experiences in collaboration with local communities. This framework has been designed to guide educators’ approaches to working with local First Nations communities. The FIRST framework supports school and curriculum leaders to identify the areas in which they can lead their school’s engagement with local First Nations communities. They can build respectful relationships that value First Nations knowledges and voices. More information about the FIRST framework can be found on the FIRST framework page of the Australian Curriculum website.

 

Protocols for engaging First Nations Australians

 

When planning teaching activities involving engagement with First Nations Australians, teachers should follow protocols that describe principles, procedures and behaviours for recognising and respecting First Nations Australians and their intellectual property. Teachers should use approved resources such as those that may be provided by their state or territory school system, or First Nations Australian education consultative groups, or other protocols accredited by First Nations Australians. While the Australian Curriculum uses the terms “First Nations Australians” and “Australian First Nations Peoples”, there may be other terms that First Nations Australians of a particular area or location prefer. It is important to use the terms preferred in a particular area or location.

 

Defining the wider school community

 

Schools are part of rich, diverse communities where education intersects with local businesses, industries, services and community organisations. The term wider school community refers to people and groups who support and create opportunities for the same local community. This includes local businesses and industry, local councils, elected representatives and service agencies. It also includes community groups such as sporting clubs, arts and cultural organisations, not-for-profits, elders and family support services.

 

Role of school and curriculum leaders

 

School leaders are central to building and sustaining meaningful school-community partnerships that enhance curriculum implementation and student learning. Their role goes beyond coordination to strategic leadership that ensures engagement is purposeful, inclusive and impactful. Leaders identify and connect with local groups, support teachers to collaborate effectively, and communicate the purpose and goals of engagement. They champion and model authentic collaboration, form partnerships, and monitor impact while recognising contributions. They create conditions for long-term, values-driven relationships that improve student outcomes.

 

Importance of community engagement for schools

 

Research shows that schools with strong community partnerships achieve improved student outcomes, enhanced teacher practice and stronger school reputation. Community collaborations prepare learners for the demands of the 21st century and strengthen local communities. Collaboration means sharing effort, knowledge and resources to succeed in common goals.

 

Collaboration in high-impact schools is deliberate, structured and built on trust. These schools actively pursue partnerships and resources that enhance student learning. They form local learning systems that turn external connections into learning opportunities.

 

Key benefits for school-community partnerships include improved student outcomes, enhanced teacher practice, stronger school reputation and support, and a return in value for partners.

 

How community engagement supports curriculum implementation

 

Community engagement prepares learners for active participation in their community. Leaders who build purposeful partnerships enrich learning by placing the curriculum in real-world contexts that sustain high engagement. Collaborations with local businesses, industries and community organisations deepen conceptual understanding through authentic, local experiences. For example, they use real-world problems in STEM, or integrate sustainability and civics projects that connect directly to community needs. By engaging external partners, schools ensure curriculum planning is contextually responsive and meaningfully connected to students’ lives.

 

Strategic partnerships also expand the expertise and resources available to schools. Community organisations contribute specialist knowledge, professional learning, industry exposure and services not available internally. They give students tangible vocational opportunities such as work experience and career pathway connections. When leaders cultivate reciprocal, goal-oriented relationships, they strengthen both the cultural capital of the school and the social capital of the community. This approach positions the school as a community hub whose direction reflects shared aspirations and contributes to improved student engagement, wellbeing and achievement.

 

Practical strategies

 

Effective engagement with the wider school community relies on clear, purposeful actions that connect schools with local expertise and resources. Practical strategies help leaders and teachers turn partnerships into authentic learning opportunities, strengthen community ties and support curriculum goals. These are some practical strategies to consider:

 

Support community voice

  • Reach out to family members who can facilitate contact with suitable organisations.
  • Invite community representatives to curriculum planning forums.
  • Use surveys or advisory groups to ensure local perspectives inform priorities.

 

Position the school as a community hub

  • Host events that showcase student learning and invite community participation.
  • Share successful partnership models to influence broader system-level support.

 

Integrate expertise into learning areas

  • Collaborate with local businesses for STEM projects, cultural organisations for arts programs and service groups for civic engagement activities.

 

Monitor and share impact

  • Collect data on student outcomes, engagement and skill development linked to community partnerships.
  • Publicly recognise contributions from community partners to sustain goodwill.

ACARA has produced a range of illustrations of practice in which successful school-community partnerships have been driven by engagement with career education, social enterprise programs, local councils and STEM professionals. These illustrations help imagine possibilities. They give examples of successful practice driven by clear purpose, shared goals, deep connection with curriculum, the wider school community and community impact.

 

This illustration of practice shows how school leaders liaise with industry to align project goals and address partner needs. At Heathfield High School, leaders facilitated collaboration and supported teachers to work with industry professionals, ensuring authentic processes enriched curriculum delivery and connected learning to real-world contexts.

Leigh Creek Area School partnered closely with Adnyamathanha Elders and the Adnyamathanha Language and Culture Committee to revive and teach the local language. Through community collaboration, on-Country learning and support from linguists, the school embedded culturally responsive practices across F–12. This whole-school approach strengthened cultural identity and deepened connections between students, families and community.

Crystal Brook Primary School and Gladstone State High School partnered through a STEM inquiry project, engaging Golden North to provide authentic career education. Students collaborated across schools, visited the industry site and explored STEM careers through real-world challenges. The project concluded with a community expo showcasing student work to industry partners, families and local stakeholders, strengthening school-community connections.

Hillman Primary School’s Career Week strengthens ties with local businesses, including those owned by parents/carers, through workplace visits and a vibrant Career Expo. These partnerships provide authentic learning experiences, showcasing real career pathways and inspiring students to link classroom learning with future opportunities. Parent-owned businesses play a key role in fostering community engagement and student aspirations.

Staff meeting resources

 

These resources provide a structured starting point for collaborative discussion and reflection on current approaches to whole-school curriculum planning. They include facilitator notes, activity documents and supporting presentation slides designed to guide whole-school reflection and planning. 

 

The materials are flexible and can be adapted to suit different school contexts, priorities and focus areas for discussion.

The facilitator notes and accompanying PowerPoint have been developed as a support for whole group discussions to reflect on current approaches and plan for effective curriculum implementation. The slides and activities may be adjusted to suit the school context and focus for discussion.

 

Presentation materials

 

Engaging with community facilitator notes

 

Engaging with community PowerPoint presentation

 

Documents

 

Engaging with community reflection

 

Engaging with community: Planning for action

Professional learning for school and curriculum leaders 

 

ACARA has developed a professional learning course to support school and curriculum leaders to develop a deeper understanding of the advice, resources and research in the Engaging with community aspect. This course will support leaders to:

  • understand how purposeful engagement with families, First Nations Australian communities and the wider school community can strengthen curriculum implementation
  • apply a whole‑school approach to planning with the Australian Curriculum that reflects meaningful engagement with community.

 

This course supports school and curriculum leaders to reflect on current practice and initiate planning a whole-school approach to curriculum implementation.

 

Access to this course is through ACARA’s Professional Learning Hub.

Professional Learning Hub

Research

 

Bentley T and Cazaly C (2015) The shared work of learning: Lifting educational achievement through collaboration, Mitchell Institute research report No. 03/2015, Mitchell Institute for Health and Education Policy and the Centre for Strategic Education, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

Donohoo J, Hattie J and Eells R (2018) “The power of collective efficacy”, Educational Leadership, 75:40–44.

  

Ellis V, Cooper R, Jenkins L and Blannin J (2023) The Australian Teachers’ Survey 2023: Initial Teacher Education and Continuing Professional Development, Melbourne: Faculty of Education, Monash University, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

Fullan M (2011) Learning is the Work, Michael Fullan, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Lonsdale M and Anderson M (2012) Preparing 21st century learners: the case for school-community collaborations, ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research), accessed 14 January 2026.

 

O’Keeffe L, Paige K and Osborne S (2018) “Getting started: exploring pre-service teachers’ confidence and knowledge of culturally responsive pedagogy in teaching mathematics and science”, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 47(2):152–175, doi:10.1080/1359866X.2018.1531386.

 

Research summary - Engaging with community

 

Further reading

 

Other national resources provide information for school and curriculum leaders to support teachers and educators to engage effectively with their local communities. 

 

ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) (2023) School Improvement Tool, ACER, doi:10.37517/978-1-74286-700-7.

 

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2021) Engaging with families to support student learning in primary school, AERO, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

AERO (2021) Engaging with families to support student learning in secondary school, AERO, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (2024) “Spotlight: Strengthening parent engagement to improve student outcomes”’, Spotlights, AITSL website, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

ARACY (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth) (2016) Parent Engagement: A Review. Linking policy and programs, ARACY, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

APC (Australian Parents Council) (2025) “Supporting children’s learning”, Supporting Children Learning, APC website, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) “Family-School Partnerships”, Supporting Family-School-Community Partnerships for Learning, Australian Government Department of Education website, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

Australian Government Department of Education (n.d.) “Parent Engagement Research and Resources”, Supporting Family-School-Community Partnerships for Learning, Australian Government Department of Education website, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Barker B, and Harris D (2020) Parent and Family Engagement: An Implementation Guide for School Communities, ARACY (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth), accessed 14 January 2026.

 

CSPA (Catholic School Parents Australia) (n.d.) Gearing up for parent engagement in student learning, CSPA, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Fox S and Olsen A (2014) Educational Capital: Our evidence base defining parental engagement, ARACY (Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth), accessed 14 January 2026.

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2024) Cultural responsiveness in education, Research summaries, AERO, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

AERO (2025) Cultural Safety, Practice guides, AERO, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

AIATSIS (Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies) (n.d.) Guides and resources, AIATSIS website, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

AITSL (Australian Institute of Teaching and School Leadership) (n.d.) Indigenous Cultural Responsiveness Self-reflection Tool, AITSL, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

AITSL (n.d.) Building a culturally responsive Australian teaching workforce, AITSL, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

AITSL (n.d.) Indigenous cultural responsiveness continuum, AITSL, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

AITSL (n.d.) Indigenous cultural responsiveness capability framework, AITSL, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Beyond Blue (n.d.) “Organisations for engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples and cultures”, First Nations communities, Beyond Blue website, accessed 14 January 2026.

 

Copyright Agency (n.d.) “Indigenous copyright”, Copyright Agency website, accessed 15 January 2026.

  

eSafety Commissioner (n.d.) “eSafety First Nations resources”, eSafety Commissioner website, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

Janke T (2019) Protocols for using First Nations Cultural and Intellectual Property in the Arts, Australia Council for the Arts, accessed 14 January 2026.

  

Reconciliation Australia (n.d.) Narragunnawali, narragunnawali.org.au, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

University of Melbourne (2023) The Ngarrngga Project, ngarrngga.org, accessed 15 January 2026.

ACER (Australian Council for Educational Research) (2023) School Improvement Tool, Australian Council for Educational Research, doi:10.37517/978-1-74286-700-7

 

AERO (Australian Education Research Organisation) (2023) ‘Encouraging a sense of belonging and connectedness in primary schools’, Practice guides, AERO, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

AITSL (Australian Institute for Teaching and School Leadership) (n.d. ) ‘Community partnerships to improve literacy’,  Tools & Resources, AITSL website, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

AITSL (n.d.) ‘Engaging and working with the community’, Tools & Resources, AITSL website, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

Australian Government Department of Education (2021) ‘Partnerships between schools, businesses and community’, What works best when teaching STEM?, Australian Government Department of Education website, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

Bradford D and Clarke S (2015) High value-add schools: key drivers of school improvement, Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation, NSW Department of Education.

 

Garza E, Drysdale L, Gurr D, Jacobson S and Merchant B. (2014) ‘Leadership for school success: Lessons from effective principals’, International Journal of Educational Management, 28(7):798–811, doi:10.1108/IJEM-08-2013-0125

 

Gross JMS, Haines SJ, Hill C, Francis GL, Blue-Banning M and Turnbull AP (2015) ‘Strong School–Community Partnerships in Inclusive Schools Are “Part of the Fabric of the School.…We Count on Them”’, School Community Journal, 25(2):9–34.

 

Jensen B and Sonnemann J (2014) Turning around schools: it can be done, Grattan Institute, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

Leithwood K (2011) ‘Core practices: The four essential components of the leader’s repertoire’ in K Leithwood and K Louis (2011), Linking leadership to student learning (pp. 57–67), Wiley.

 

Leithwood K, Louis KS, Anderson S and Wahlstrom K (2004) Review of research: How leadership influences student learning, University of Minnesota, The University of Toronto and The Wallace Foundation, accessed 23 December 2025.

 

Levin BB and Schrum L (2014) ‘Lessons Learned from Secondary Schools using Technology for School Improvement: It’s Just not that Simple!’, Journal of School Leadership, 24(4):640–665, doi:10.1177/105268461402400403

 

Lonsdale M and Anderson M (2012) Preparing 21st Century learners: The case for school-community collaborations, ACER, accessed 23 December 2025.

 

Moore KA, Lantos H, Jones R, Schindler A, Belford J and Sacks V (2017) ‘Making The Grade: A Progress Report and Next Steps for Integrated Student Supports’, Child Trends, accessed 15 January 2026.

 

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