As many Australian schools grapple with declining results, one of the country's most disadvantaged schools says its remarkable turnaround can be part of the solution. Cessnock High School's reputation was once so fearsome that teachers were afraid of working there. Now, after seeing huge improvements in its HSC results, about $10 million will be spent to emulate 'The Cessnock Way' learning model across the country.
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00:00 Cessnock High in the Hunter Valley is a regional school on the rise.
00:11 Overcoming disadvantage to record some of the strongest learning growth in the country.
00:17 It's a tough community I suppose.
00:18 Over 70% of our community are in the bottom quartile for socio-economic advantage and
00:24 with that comes all the issues associated with that.
00:27 Who wants to go out in the middle of the desert and dig a five foot trench every day?
00:32 Not me, personally.
00:33 History teacher Kelsey Kacina has a commanding classroom presence but was fearful when offered
00:39 a job here seven years ago.
00:41 My reaction was absolutely not.
00:45 My preconceptions of Cessnock High School was a school that had a massive issue with
00:49 violence.
00:50 I remember my first week here there was a particularly violent fight that took place.
01:00 Principal Peter Riley took over five years ago and transformed the school.
01:05 He introduced the Cessnock Way, underpinned by improved teaching practices and trauma
01:10 informed discipline that emphasises consistency, character and high expectations.
01:16 We've been able to build a culture on that where there are very few negative behaviours
01:21 where violence doesn't exist in our school at all anymore.
01:25 The data shows Peter's plan is paying off.
01:29 Cessnock High's Year 12 results have improved by 50% and its NAPLAN scores are some of the
01:35 fastest growing in Australia, with benefits for the entire local community.
01:40 We want to produce good citizens who are capable of adding to our community that are employable,
01:45 and that education and employability is a lifelong difference for them.
01:51 We want to break the cycle.
01:55 School Captain Gabrielle Streitberger-Sams and her classmates are taking up the challenge,
02:00 with big dreams for the future.
02:02 I want to be a biomedical researcher.
02:06 I have celiac disease and my cousin has NF1 or neurofibromatosis, so I'd like to try and
02:12 find a cure.
02:13 I'm looking to potentially join the military or the police.
02:16 I want to be a teacher.
02:18 The main reason is because of the teachers at this school.
02:20 They've influenced me in a way, like a massive way.
02:26 Parents are taking on the challenge too.
02:28 Mum, Cheryl-Ann Liggett, is nurturing her daughter Kira's dream to study dinosaurs.
02:35 My daughter would like to be a paleontologist and has had that dream since she was very
02:39 young.
02:42 At the Facilis House, Mum Heidi is celebrating her son Lennox, who is the first student from
02:47 Cessnock High to score in the highest band in Year 12.
02:52 Daughters Logan and Lily hope to follow in his footsteps.
02:55 Very proud.
02:56 He made the honours roll and he was ducks.
03:00 For so long we were operating in this kind of survival mode.
03:04 We were just trying to get through our jobs, get through the day.
03:06 The school partly attributes its success to a decision to partner with researcher Dr Drew
03:11 Miller in a program to improve classroom practice called Quality Teaching Rounds.
03:17 You're going to lose staff soon because they're developing really well.
03:21 Teachers have developed their teaching practice.
03:24 Lessons are more engaging.
03:25 The environment to learn is safer and the learning is more significant.
03:29 Students are coming to school.
03:30 That's had a really big impact on their NAPLAN growth.
03:34 Cessnock High's success has impressed state and federal education bosses and its teaching
03:39 model will now be rolled out right across Australia.
03:43 About $10 million will be spent to train 1600 teachers and allow another 25 disadvantaged
03:49 schools to partner with the university.
03:51 It can break intergenerational poverty and disadvantage and unemployment.
03:58 Breaking that can then lead to enormous benefit.
04:03 Teaching teachers lessons to transform lives.
04:06 Make a difference for the future, not only for them but for their family and generationally
04:10 we can make a change.
04:11 [Music]
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