On 2 Nov 2023, the Bunuba people and Studio Schools of Australia hosted a celebration of learning and culture on Bunuba Country at Yiramalay Studio School. The event brought together Bunuba TO’s and elders, families of current students, alumni, and industry professionals in the education and Indigenous advocacy sectors to learn what ‘indigenous education working together’ looks like at Studio Schools of Australia (SSA). Guests got a taste of what learning on-country means through Studio Schools of Australia’s unique approach to education that incorporates personal, academic and industry learning - wrapped in culture and language, delivered through interactive workshops during the day. Guests were also given a preview of the plans and a visit to the land where the new Manjali Studio School will be built.
The event demonstrated Studio School Australia's purpose to empower Indigenous children to create a future of pride, belonging and success. It served as an exciting reminder that Yiramalay (SSA’s pilot school) is just the beginning of a proven model ready to scale and make a meaningful impact on Australia's remote north with ambitious plans for 10 new Studio Schools in the next decade.
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Welcome To Bunuba Country
The day began with a traditional smoking ceremony led by respected Bunuba TO’s (and Yiramalay’s Cultural Mentors) Ralph Green and Kaylene Marr to cleanse the area and ward off bad spirits from the people and land while wishing all guests great success.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and Board Member of SSA, June Oscar AO delivered the Welcome to Country and shared how,
“Indigenous students benefit from a residential model of learning on-country, with a focus on health and well-being, remaining close to family and community, and strengthening language and culture”.
Creating a future of pride, belonging and success
Next, we heard from Yiramalay school leaders Shannon Smith-Haynes and Kevin Oobagooma about the impact Yiramaly has made on their lives.
“Yiramalay is a good place for me to be. Other schools didn’t match me. When I finish school next year, my dream is to find a job and do good things in life” - Kevin Oobagooma Year 11 Yiramalay, From Derby WA
“I am a Bunuba woman and I came here to learn about the culture and language behind my bloodline. Being on Bunuba land makes me feel safe, because this is where my people thrived before everything happened and I’ve just loved learning about that” - Shannon Smith-Haynes, Year 12 Yiramalay, From Kakadu QLD
Yiramalay Alumni and now residential mentor Aaron Wunungmurra said,
“When I first came to Yiramalay in 2018, it changed my life, I had zero experience in school and I didn't want to be at school. But when you’re out on-country like this, it connects me to land, even though i’m not from here, my spirit remains the same. I was motivated to be better for my mentors and my family who sacrificed for me to be here. Now, becoming a school mentor has developed me in so many ways, it’s brought my voice out, it's made me proud to be a young ‘Yolngu’ bloke, to be speaking my language and sharing my culture with the other kids’. - Aaron Wunungmurra, Yiaramaly Mentor, from North East Arnhem Land
Indigenous education working together
Helen Drennen, SSA’s CEO and Yiramalay Principal Adele Gott introduced the next segment of the day - celebrating SSA’s unique approach to learning modeled at Yiramalay. They shared how Studio Schools of Australia has got to where it is today by challenging the status quo to drive educational reform at a system level. But the greatest key to achieving better outcomes for Indigenous students requires deep listening to First Nations people and new ways of understanding, thinking and doing.
“65,000 years of knowledge connects with world class contemporary practice to create a new model of education which works for everyone.” Helen Drennen AM, SSA CEO
“The goal is for the school to be completely Bunuba operated, owned and developed. That would be the measure of success: that a Bunuba person would be in my role. We're working towards that. There are two Indigenous people in the leadership team now, which creates a great starting point. We're getting there. That goal is a reality.” - Adele Gott, Yiramalay Principal
And in true demonstration of the partnership with Indigenous people, Adele passes the mic to Deputy Principal Alison Wunungmurra from North East Arnhem Land to deliver the key part of the presentation, SSA’s 4 circles of learning.
“SSA’s model is structured but flexible so it allows students to tap into all areas - the academic, industry and personal learning are interconnected. Language and culture holds everything.”
Celebrating learning
The next part of the day gave guests a hands-on experience of the learning that happens every day through various workshops and information sessions that give a greater insight into SSA’s proven success and future plans.
Language workshop
Alison led a lively language workshop, with Bunuba language at the heart of the session. As visitors arrived at the workshop, they were able to view the work that had been done throughout Term 3 and 4 with cultural and language leaders Selina, Marilyn and Ralph. The land and seasons set the agenda for the learning in language and culture sessions over the previous weeks. Yiramalay students had been learning the names of seasons, plants, animals and weather, as they spent time out on-country with the elders. The Year 10 students added to their language knowledge while undertaking their Seasons and Stars unit, led by their teacher Elly Whitaker.
During the workshop, Alison gave a fun and action filled lesson where she taught the seasons in Yolngu Matha. She demonstrated how actions and gestures are used to teach language during the language sessions at Yiramalay. Selina and Alison have team-taught many of these sessions, each bringing their own area of expertise to provide the students with unique, authentic, fun-filled language lessons.
“My background is in early childhood education. So I like to bring playful element in the way I teach” - Alison Wunungmurra, Yiramalay Deputy Principal
Two-way science at Yiramalay
Teacher Elly gave a glimpse into the two-way science program at Yiramalay. Two-way science connects the cultural knowledge of the local community with Western science. This collaborative initiative will enable Yiramalay to set cultural learning goals for on-country excursions, seamlessly linking these experiences back to the classroom.
A recent highlight at Yiramalay was the visit of Yawru man, Bart Pigram, from Narlijia Experiences Broome, who enriched the school community with engaging workshops on Two-Way Science. Collaborating with Bunuba elders, mentors, and staff, Bart and the Yiramalay community co-created a Bush calendar for the current season, Barrangga, infusing cultural knowledge into the curriculum. The journey continued on-country to Bandlinghan (Windjana Gorge), offering students an unforgettable day blending cultural exploration and a fishing expedition. Back at school, Bart's sessions skillfully connected the fishing experience to Health lessons, providing students with a holistic understanding of the functionality of body parts. The inception of a Two-Way Science working group marks the beginning of a collaborative initiative set to seamlessly integrate these experiences into various subjects, promising a holistic and culturally enriched curriculum by 2024.
“This is what authentic learning on-country looks like! Rich learning happens on-country. It’s where a lot of our learners feel at their happiest and safest. Having a lot of on-country opportunities is so important because it takes place outside a square classroom. Country teaches us about science, art, technology, and craft. It removes the traditional teacher-student dynamic” - Adele Gott
Performing arts, creativity and design with Kimberley Theatre
Yiramalay has partnered with Theatre Kimberley for the second year for a special industry learning program that engages students to design and create ‘wearable art’ costumes developed from recycled materials that will be paraded at a Raranga - The Weave performance in Broome where students will work with professional choreographers and other industry professionals in production.
The lead artist in residence, Jackie Cheng displayed the incredible costumes currently in progress she made alongside the students and shared that the approach is to,
“encourage the students to come up with the creative ideas and we help them bring their vision to life and give them a taste of what’s out there for them beyond school. From previous programs we’ve run with the school, I’ve found the kids always leave happy and engaged with this experience”.
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Learning on-country research and measuring student growth
Tanya Davies, Associate Director of the SSA Indigenous Education & Research Centre (IERC) led an information session sharing their approach to tracking and reporting performance and the outcomes SSA are delivering in relation to the Closing the Gap targets. The IERC plays a pivotal role as a Centre of Excellence within the SSA system to support the successful delivery of the unique model of teaching and learning across the Studio Schools.Tanya works closely with teachers and Indigenous staff to ensure the four circles of learning are driving all learning opportunities, alongside developing and supporting Individual Development Plans for each staff member. The IERC is also currently undertaking reviews of the SSA learning frameworks and the Year 10 Induction program whilst also collecting data on what Yiramalay students have been doing since graduation. More details here.
“My focus with the IERC is developing programs for staff development, quality assurance and research to inform continuous improvement and be responsive to new schools and the local community. The IERC plays an important role in ensuring the model and values are being lived out authentically as we continue to scale the Studio Schools system.” - Tanya Davies, Associate Director of the SSA Indigenous Education & Research Centre (IERC)
New Manjali Studio School
After a comprehensive Tender process, a significant milestone was reached in September with the engagement of Hutchinson Builders (Hutchie’s) for the prefabrication and construction phases for the new Manjali Studio School. Construction and project managers Shane and David shared plans, architectural drawings and answered questions about the school in this information session.
The design for the Manjali Studio School followed a detailed, highly interactive co-design process with the Bunuba community over the last eighteen months and included five co-design sessions located on-country with Bunuba Dawangarri Aboriginal Corporation ( BDAC) and other Bunuba Traditional owners and children. Manjali is the Bunuba name for the new studio school inspired by the quartz rock found on the site.
The new school is 10 kms from the existing Yiramalay Studio School and is situated on the Cadjebut and Kurrajong Creek systems, a part of the Fitzroy River catchment and Tanami- Timor Sea Coast. The site currently has no formal built structures, is sparsely covered by natural vegetation, and has spectacular views.
The Manjali Studio School is scheduled to open for students in Years 7, 8 and 9 at the beginning of 2025.
A heartwarming feast across generations
Guests worked up a well-deserved appetite after the morning of activities, Ralph Green, Bunuba TO prepared a traditional ‘killer’ on the BBQ, which was paired with a feast of fresh salads, damper and sides from the Yiramalay kitchen. Elders, TOs, families from Fitzroy Crossing and Derby, students from Melbourne and the Kimberley and staff shared in this feast together. Students took the opportunity to give tours of the school for their family members (many of whom were visiting for the first time). It was heartwarming to see the pride in both the students and their families' faces.
Student Graduation
After lunch, the Induction 58 graduation ceremony commenced, for 20 Wesley students and 11 Indigenous students. There are six Induction Programs run each year, and they provide an entry point into Yiramalay and the unique approach taken to learning at the school. Each Induction program includes local students, as well as students from Wesley College (Melbourne). Students are immersed in authentic two-way learning on-country, as they learn about Bunuba land, language and culture, as well as the industries that provide employment in the local communities. The program creates lifelong friendships and life-changing memories for those students who embrace the opportunity.
For Indigenous students wishing to join the Yiramalay community, it is a chance to trial a different experience of school; if they successfully complete their 3-week program, and it is decided the school is a good fit for them and they are a good fit for the school, they are then offered an ongoing place at the school. Yiramalay then commits to supporting each student until they complete Year 12 and for an additional three years, to ensure successful transition into further education or employment. For the Wesley students, it’s once in a lifetime cultural experience and adventure to immerse themselves in 3 weeks of learning on-country.
The Wesley Staff Team, lead by Jesse Mazur, together with Cath Shannon from the Yiramalay team, announced the students and elders Ralph, Sandra and Kaylene presented them with certificates and a gift.
“It was good to lead the kids and all that. Many are from my town, but they know nothing about surviving in the bush. So I teach them so that one day they might go back and tell their family and all the things they learned” - Ralph Green, Bunuba Traditional Owner, Cultural Mentor and Community Engagement Advisor
Traditional Dance
The day wrapped up with a traditional Yolngu dance led by Alison. All students were invited to join in the dance performance. Alison was proud that so many students, including many from Melbourne, chose to learn the dance. She valued the opportunity to share her culture and create a special opportunity for all students. It was a beautiful picture of different cultures coming together.
The first dance that was performed was the Brolga dance. It illustrates the concepts of ceremony, connection and transformation between a human spirit and the spirit of a creature. Brolga is also inspired by totemic systems in Australian Aboriginal culture, where every person is assigned a creature totem related to their clan. The second dance was about the North Wind and the Setting Sun.
Both dances provided an opportunity for students to learn about each other’s culture and work together to produce a beautiful moment of connection. The dances were performed on the tradition “jumba” ground, which was created at Yiramalay for moments just like this.
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