A team from Armidale Secondary College has received a Highly Commended Award in the NSW Humanitarian Awards 2026.

English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) Education Leader, David Partridge, said the team came to refugee education as a result of Armidale becoming a regional refugee location.

“This changed the nature of our work, with all but [Careers Advisor] Lana [Hardman] moving out of our traditional teaching roles into the English as an Additional Language or Dialect and refugee education space,” Mr Partridge said.

“Although Lana didn't head in this direction per se, as a high-skilled Careers Advisor, the nature of her work has pivoted to support refugee background learners to navigate work and education pathways in Australia in a culturally responsive manner.

“Our work, particularly in careers and pathways, was a result of there being a gap in the education system to cater for recently arrived refugee learners with developing textual literacy after school.

“We noticed that there were not enough post-school programs, and students and families lacked awareness of Australian pathways. Many students were not aware of the benefits of TAFE or saw it only as a place to learn English in the Adult Migrant English Program.

“We collaborated with Ben Parsons at Armidale TAFE and Dr Helen Harper from the School of Education at the University of New England to find a solution to this, and it is for this work that we have been recognised at the NSW Humanitarian Awards.

“The most satisfying things about this have been that we were able to collaborate locally to find solutions to an educational problem of practice and, of course, seeing the positive impact this has had on our students.

“Students are now more aware of their educational pathway options. It is always amazing to see former students who say where they have ended up as a result of this work.”

The Awards announcement reads:

The ASC Pathways Program, driven by the dedicated “Pathways to Belonging” Team at Armidale Secondary College and the Intensive English Centre, has helped transform educational and career pathways for refugee-background students in regional New South Wales.

This highly collaborative initiative brings together David Partridge (EAL/D Education Leader), Rebecca Tarrant (EAL/D Head Teacher), Carole McKinney (IEC Head Teacher), and Lana Hardman (Careers Advisor) to support the successful settlement, engagement, and educational aspirations of newly arrived and refugee-background students.

Through their collective leadership of this pathways program, the team has created culturally responsive and accessible systems that support Ezidi, Congolese, and other refugee-background students to navigate subject selection, vocational training, further education, and employment pathways.

Their innovative use of bilingual support translated resources, and deep family engagement has empowered both students and parents to make informed decisions about their futures.

Working closely with schools, universities, TAFE, employers, and community organisations including STARTTS, SSI, and New England Family Support, the team has established a holistic model of support through this pathways program to address both educational aspirations and settlement challenges.

Their shared dedication has strengthened student confidence, increased access to qualifications and employment opportunities, and helped refugee families feel deeply connected, safe, and supported within their new community.