Crisis 
OUR GOAL
To provide children affected by crises with rapid support to meet their immediate needs, and long-term support that builds resilience and reduces the impact of crises on their learning and wellbeing.
By 2027, we aim to impact 150,000 children per year.
Children get access to tangible resources that meet their immediate needs to continue their usual school routine, e.g. classroom equipment, new uniforms.
Children’s mental health and wellbeing is supported and shown through their resilience, behaviour and engagement during and post event crisis events.
Children’s learning outcomes continue to improve.
THE NEED
As a result of the pandemic and other major crises like flood and fires, every child in Australia has experienced unprecedented disruption to their schooling over the past few years.
For children and young people facing disadvantage:
the impact of recent crises has been felt severely, as existing challenges like housing and good insecurity, domestic violence and financial burden have been exacerbated and have compounded issues like social isolation and limited access to resources and technolgy.
Our work to support children impacted by crisis
13,958
children
1,785
teachers
93
school communities
Our unique
model drives
our impact
Schools Plus’ model combines three interdependent components that work together to drive change.
Place-based approach
We take a place-based and community led approach to target the unique needs of children within a specific community. We engage a broad range of stakeholders including teachers, health practitioners and families to be active participants in the development and implementation of interventions, because we know it is the community that knows its children best.
Investment to effect change
We support school communities with critical resources that help them to effect change. This includes funding to help access physical and professional resources as well as coaching to enable the project’s successful implementation and evaluation.
Influencing systems change
Some of our larger-scale projects are now playing a key role in influencing systems change at a sector level with some projects incubated by Schools Plus expanding and scaling into mainstream educational programs.
How we give children more opportunities
We partner with schools to provide rapid response to children in need of immediate support during a crisis as well as providing longer-term wellbeing support for children impacted by trauma and other slower-onset crises.
Some examples of our work include:
- Funding equipment such as laptops, books and learning packs
- Equipping teachers with skills to apply trauma informed and restorative practices
- Access to expert allied health support to help children and the broader community build resilience
SUPPORT US to help our crisis response
Where we work
Schools Plus works with school communities across all states and territories in Australia. Our work supports children from schools with an ICSEA score (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of less than 1000. We also partner with special needs schools.
STORIES OF IMPACT
Restimulating the learning journey
Ava, a Year 4 student at Bruthen Primary School (VIC), responded honestly when teachers asked her and her classmates what they thought about maths; Ava said: “we told them we hated maths.”
Learn more >
Shining a light on a different future
Roxy, Year 10 student at Wynyard High School (TAS), never felt she had a role model. Her mum and older sister never had a job and much like other children in the area, the household she grew up in caused a bit of trauma. Feeling like her prospects were bleak, Roxy did not regularly attend school.
Learn more >
Lighting the spark
As a school already providing opportunities for students to develop entrepreneurial skills, Kepnock State High School (QLD) sought to do more and with a focus on First Nations students.
Learn more >
