The Write it Right! (WiR!) Programme launched in 2023 and now in its third year, is engaging Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in Year 8, in on-Country learning at the Murrook Cultural Centre on Worimi Land. Across three excursions each term, students connect with culture and community before returning to school to transform these experiences into written pieces through formalised English lessons, conducted in small groups.

The programme addresses a critical need identified at the school: many Stage 4 (Years 7 and 8) students struggle with academic writing across subjects, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander learners, in particular, can find the transition into formal text types challenging. By grounding writing tasks in authentic and culturally safe experiences, WiR! creates a stronger sense of purpose and motivation for students, while also building important skills in vocabulary, sentence fluency, and text structure.

Early results show promising outcomes. Students are submitting more writing tasks, showing greater engagement in class, and attending more regularly. Teachers involved in the program are also gaining valuable professional learning in Aboriginal pedagogies, strengthening literacy teaching across the English faculty.

Funding from Port Waratah has been essential to the project’s success. While the school covered staff coverage and transport costs, Port Waratah’s contribution paid for the Murrook Cultural Centre excursions — an expense that would otherwise have been passed on to families, limiting participation. With those costs removed, the program has been fully accessible to all 27 Year 8 Aboriginal students in 2025.

Newcastle High School English Faculty member and classroom teacher Nadia Bulgin emphasised the program 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,” Nadia said. “It’s creating powerful connections between culture and learning.”

The initiative is being measured across multiple outcomes, including NAPLAN results, classroom assessments, attendance, and wellbeing data, with the full impact expected to emerge over a two-year cycle. The school hopes the success of the program will continue to grow, with the potential for long-term partnerships to sustain it into the future.

 For Newcastle High, Write it Right! is more than a literacy program. It is an investment in students’ cultural identity, confidence and future success; and Port Waratah is very proud to play a small part.