Supporting reconciliation at Wayeela Cooinda

This case study describes Wayeela Cooinda Preschool’s approach to its Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP). It looks at how the preschool, located on the site of Nowra East Public School, used Reconciliation Australia's Narragunnawali Platform to develop its RAP and to foster knowledge and pride in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, cultures and contributions for students, staff and the school community.

School context

Wayeela Cooinda Preschool was established in 1993 on the traditional lands of the Yuin people in Nowra. The preschool has 40 students who attend two days per week. 80% of these students are from an Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background.

Wayeela Cooinda sits on the site of Nowra East Public School. In 2021, Nowra East became a Connected Communities school, operating as a delivery hub for government and non-government services that support the educational, health and wellbeing needs of students and their families.

Reconciliation at Wayeela Cooinda Preschool: an overview

‘Wayeela Cooinda’ means ‘happy place’ in the local Dharawal language. Dharawal language is used throughout the preschool, with groups named after traditional place names.

A teacher at the service, Kate Kennedy, says, “There has always been recognition of reconciliation within the school through the strong connection with Elders, the Aboriginal Education Consultative Group (AECG), and the local community.”

The preschool actively aims to increase Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employment and currently employs an Aboriginal Education Officer (AEO) and an Aboriginal School Learning Support Officer (SLSO). They also have an Aboriginal student from the local high school completing her Certificate III in Early Childhood Education and Care, supported by the Elsa Dixon Aboriginal Employment Grant.

Developing a RAP as a preschool

As part of the self-assessment and quality improvement planning process used by the NSW Early Childhood Education Regulatory Authority, the preschool set the goal of developing a RAP.

A key motivator was ensuring a formalised framework for reconciliation that could be continued as staff moved through the preschool. Kate says that the RAP “consolidates and documents a lot of the things that we were already doing.”

As a starting point, the preschool registered on the Narragunnawali platform and completed the Reflection Survey to assist with planning. Following on from the survey, they formed a RAP working group, made up of staff and members of the community. The group has now developed a RAP checklist with timelines around actions and accountabilities.

Wayeela Cooinda also engaged an Aboriginal consultant specialising in early childhood education to provide additional support.

Understanding the local context

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives are embedded throughout teaching and learning at Wayeela Cooinda. The preschool has a Dharawal language group run by a local knowledge holder and an Aboriginal-owned organisation. Working with the organisation has helped build the confidence of staff and supported their cultural awareness within the local context. Staff are invested in building their understanding and bringing those learnings into the classroom.

The preschool also works closely with Elder and life member of the AECG Aunty Ruth Simms OAM. “She is very active in supporting our RAP journey, making sure that consultation and feedback are built into everything, as well as making sure that we’re following protocol,” says Kate.

It’s all about relationships

Kate believes, “You need to sit and listen to people to understand where they’re coming from. Working in partnership with community makes those connections and builds trust.” At Wayeela Cooinda, the students are part of this process. “You want them to be proud of their identity and who they are. All the curriculum and learning environments are designed to enable this,” says Kate.

Being a preschool and having high family engagement offers a unique opportunity for staff to set up families for positive educational outcomes. “The aim is to build those relationships in the preschool and transition that through to Nowra East Public School,” says Kate.

The preschool holds regular yarning times, inviting families into the school in a culturally safe way to share their experiences and involve them in programs. Parents are also invited to join the RAP working group at the start of each year. “Our educators are always listening and talking to parents, but also reflecting on what is being said. This feedback then gets put back into programs,” says Kate.

It’s not about finding time, it’s about prioritising

“The RAP is important because we’re setting our quality improvement goals and working with the community. It also allows us to ensure the department’s requirements are being met and that we’re actively tracking and measuring them,” says Kate.

Wayeela Cooinda used the Narragunnawali platform to drive meetings. It was also important for the preschool to ensure that the RAP wasn’t the sole responsibility of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff. To build capacity, all staff completed the Reconciliation - shaping the future through healing, understanding and unity professional learning.

Next steps

Principal of Nowra East Public School Jude Hayman says the next step is “for the primary school to develop a RAP with the direction of the school’s Connected Community reference group. There’s already a lot happening in the space but nothing formalised.”

Resources are shared between the preschool and primary school, with meetings taking place twice per term to help align Aboriginal education. Both schools see RAPs as living documents that are always evolving based on the needs of community.

Andrew Van Oploo, Senior Leader Community Engagement (SLCE), is excited about the future and seeing where a RAP can take the school community, sharing “It’s often the students that push us to go further in our understanding and inspire us and we know that culture supports our students.”

Want to know more?

Visit Reconciliation Australia's Narragunnawali Platform and join the conversation on the Viva Engage ‘Reconciliation Action Plan Group’. You can also subscribe to the RAP newsletter.