Kingswood High School is a comprehensive co-educational high school in Penrith that has 830 students, with around 10% who are Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, and another 10% with migrant and refugee backgrounds. The school sits at the foot of the Blue Mountains, 50km west of Sydney CBD, and welcomes students from established affordable housing communities as well as growing new developments in the region.
In 2022, with Teacher shortages at an all time high, Creating Chances put together a pilot Growing Great Teachers program – which would become Teacher Cadets – and Kingswood Principal, Adam Forbes, was the first to put his hand up, and support students from Kingswood in becoming teachers, diversifying the opportunities for students that are increasingly volatile employment market.
With support of 90% of Principals with whom meetings have occurred, Creating Chances is dedicated to have a clear and measurable impact on students and their school communities.
The first cohort of Kingswood students were the first to complete the 20-month program in 2024, with some attaining Recognition of Prior Learning, ATAR Points and Early Entry Offers. The guidance of Creating Chances’ mentors, and the reassurance it has provided has had a profound impact on the students and schools.
Creating Chances Teacher Cadet Program is the first of its kind in Australia, supporting students, schools and their communities for generations to come.
Collaboration with NSW Department of Education and Universities enables these high school students to access an inspiring and high calibre career and make a lifelong impact on children, schools and communities across NSW.
Critically, these students are representative of the local socio-cultural context. We are adamant that Teacher Cadets ensure accessibility of the career for students from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, Pasifika, Refugee or Migrant backgrounds irrespective of whether they live in metropolitan, regional and remote communities.
The 20-month, 7 term program combines a mix of in-school training, work experience, University mentoring and open days, personal development workshops and building a portfolio of evidence.
The key highlights were the days that students were able to reconnect after having spent a term working alongside teachers in Primary Schools. During these reconnect days, students got a taste of life at University, joining lectures, meeting existing University students and spending time on campus.
Teachers at Kingswood High School acknowledged that Year 10’s Jack Barker was one of their more challenging students when they gave him the opportunity to participate in the Growing Great Teachers program.
The program included a day of workshops at the Western Sydney University and the opportunity for practical teacher support experience at Kingswood Public School, where his outgoing personality captivated the young students in his care, culminating in the most fun maths class they’d ever had!
Upon completion of the program Jack has indicated that he would love to become a maths teacher and he intends to be better behaved at school (and is now referring to himself as “Mr. Barker”!).
TBC
At Creating Chances, we connect ideas, inspire growth, and empower young people to build confidence, resilience, and optimism for a brighter future.
