Adelaide Ford
Nawarddeken Academy, NT
Bordoh, Djalama and Mok
Teaching Fellow
Literacy opens a world of opportunities for any child and Adelaide Ford, a Lead Literacy teacher at the Nawarddeken Academy in West Arnhem Land has gifted this joy to many of her students, including some she has helped to read for the very first time. 100% of children at the Academy, which operates across three very remote campuses in the Northern Territory, are First Nations with many having challenging learning needs.
By introducing Individual Learning Plans for students with complex needs, Adelaide has significantly boosted attendance, engagement and achievement across all three campuses. Through implementing a whole-school English curriculum grounded in the Science of Learning principles and the Read Write Inc. phonics program, Adelaide has enabled First Nations teenagers to develop fundamental reading and literacy skills. She also created a comprehensive vocabulary program, and contextualised writing units based on the Academy’s cultural curriculum, leading to the successful adoption of structured programs and high-impact literacy strategies school-wide.
Adelaide’s impact has spread beyond her own students. Through training other teachers in Science of Reading pedagogy and Explicit Instruction, she has uplifted literacy skills across and beyond the Academy. She has provided remote professional development sessions, is a member of the Australian Education Research Organisation’s First Nations Reference Expert group and has actively engaged the community through training local Bininj and parents and involved Elders and rangers for on-Country learning activities.
Adelaide has spent her career in remote schools, honing her skills and expertise in evidence-based pedagogy. At Nawarddeken Academy, she continues to implement this, upskill other teachers and promote continuous improvement. Adelaide’s commitment to educational equity for First Nations children and cultural inclusion is inspirational and indicative of her strong moral purpose as an educator.