Matraville High School

Connect. Thrive. Succeed.

Matraville Sports High School is a coeducational community high school dedicated to developing student-athletes. Located in Southeast Sydney, the school has a long-standing history as a sports high school that has produced renowned graduates such as The Honourable Bob Carr and rugby league player Adam Reynolds.  Its Talented Sports Program attracts student athletes from all over Sydney who pursue academic excellence alongside elite coaching in rugby (league and union), netball, surfing and others. Their aim is developing student-athletes, closing the achievement gap for Aboriginal students and promoting equity for diverse learners in their educational approach. Acceptance and respect for all cultures is encouraged and the school is recognised for its friendship and tolerance.  
 

The Story of CNS at Matraville

Matraville Sports High School has had an ongoing partnership with UNSW that enables collaboration between UNSW, the local community, and the school. As such, it was one of the original pilot sites for the CNS project. With an Aboriginal student population of 28%, one of the highest concentrations of Indigenous students of any Sydney High School, and close connections with the La Perouse Land Council and community, it was an ideal school to partner with for our CNS project. In 2021, the CNS project started at MSHS with ten teachers and three cultural mentors. The momentum continued over four years with a total of 36 teachers working through the professional learning strategies across phase one of the program.  

A key factor in this success and the engagement with the CNS project has been the historical and strong relationship with the La Perouse Community. The school has eight Indigenous staff, and in 2023, appointed a Head Teacher of Aboriginal Learning and Engagement from the La Perouse Community, showcasing their commitment and deep connection to the community. Shallan Foster, the Head Teacher for Aboriginal Learning and Engagement commented on the importance of fostering that relationship between the La Pa Community and the school, for the benefit of its students, a key goal of the CNS project - 

 

The more our school gets involved in community and starts to listen and work with them, the better our community is going to be in moving forward. Our families don't move; our kids don't move. We have to plan and up-skill them in the areas where they can care for and work on Country. 

Shallan Foster, Head Teacher for Aboriginal Learning and Engagement

Matraville Sports High School have engaged in three community consultation meetings throughout phase one of the CNS project, each playing a pivotal role in building support for the development of a micro-treaty that would look to support the sustainability of the CNS framework within the school. The school has also expressed a desire to continue working further on high expectations in teacher professional learning as an area of priority for the future and is looking to engage with CNS in phase two through our continued leadership work.