School is for Everyone

The SIFE (School is for Everyone) project is a collaborative mixed-methods study involving high schools across NSW. The study is conducted by the Centre for Children and Young People (CCYP) at Southern Cross University (SCU) in collaboration with partners including Dr Donnah Anderson (Charles Sturt University), the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People, and the NSW Department of Education. The team is supported by a Youth Advisory Council at ACYP and a Young People’s Advisory Group (YPAG).

SIFE consists of four phases and aims to understand and improve the participation, wellbeing and sense of belonging for students at risk of disengaging from school. Phase 1 identified a range of practices that either help or hinder participation and belonging at school. Phase 2 examined practices linked with students’ engagement, recognition, wellbeing and safety. Phase 3 involves a series of co-designed online professional learning modules based on the findings from Phases 1 and 2, designed to guide schools wishing to improve or change their practices related to belonging and participation. Phase 4 will make these professional learning resources available to schools across NSW. Funded by the NSW Department of Education’s Strategic Research Fund: Priority Projects, the study directly addresses the department’s policy priorities for wellbeing, pedagogical innovation and inclusiveness.