Write it Right!
The programme aims to strengthen Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students’ cultural identity and academic writing skills.
It includes 10 annual on-Country learning experiences at the Murrook Cultural Centre on Worimi Land. The students connect with culture and community before returning to school to transform these experiences into written pieces through formalised English lessons. In 2025, 27 Year 8 students participated in Write it Right!
The programme addresses a critical need identified at the school: improving academic writing across subjects for Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8) students. By grounding writing tasks in authentic and culturally safe experiences, WiR! creates motivation for students and builds important skills in vocabulary, sentence fluency, and text structure. The initiative is being measured across multiple outcomes, including NAPLAN results, classroom assessments, attendance, and wellbeing data.
Nadia Bulgin, Newcastle High School English Faculty Member, emphasised the programme would not have existed without the support of Port Waratah,
“This partnership has given our students the opportunity to learn on Country and use those experiences as a foundation for improving their literacy. It’s creating powerful connections between culture and learning.”
