Edith Cowan & Greenbushes Primary School

Greenbushes Primary School is a picturesque small rural school catering to students from Kindergarten to Year 6; however, in 2019, it was at risk of closing due to small numbers. Knowing that lost classrooms equal lost communities, the local industry, school and community developed a Partnership Agreement. This partnership enabled the achievement of common goals to benefit the students, teachers, and the wider community, including contributing to a positive legacy for the future.

Greenbushes Primary School is regularly provided with funds, equipment and in-kind industry and community expertise in a range of authentic contexts, including but not limited to; equipment and prizes for students to compete in the inter-school robotics competitions, co-hosting the annual Science Fair for schools in the region, co-designing the restoration of mining voids to vibrant wetlands, and professional development opportunities for staff.

Membership on the school council also includes a representative from the regional campus of Edith Cowan University. Preserving the school within the community builds the region’s social, cultural and economic capital. Partnerships between this small rural school, their community and local industry have enabled the development of teachers’ capabilities and expansion of students’ horizons so they can aspire to achieve their goals.

Category: Regional, Remote, Rural Partnership Award
https://www.greenbushesprimaryschool.wa.edu.au/newsletters