Abbey Barcham couldn’t stop talking about Menindee Central School to her teacher fiancé, Josh Crispin, after she completed her university teaching placement there in 2022.

The couple made the big decision to apply for jobs and Menindee Central School executive principal Fiona Kelly snapped them up in January 2024.

Now the couple hopes to raise their family in Menindee, after marrying late last year. Their first child is due in July 2025.

Their personal and professional story is featured today in News Corp national advocacy campaign, ‘Australia’s Best Teachers’, which acknowledges and celebrates innovative and inspiring educators across the nation.

Josh, 26, is assistant principal at Menindee Central School, and Abbey, 25, teaches Kindergarten.

Around 80 per cent of the 75 students at the K-12 school are Aboriginal. Executive principal Fiona Kelly is a Barkindji/Ngiyampaa woman who went to Menindee Central School as a student.

“I love our small community, and I feel a moral imperative to do well for these kids,” Josh said.

“If a student cannot read, that matters to me even if that student isn’t in my class. These kids are our neighbours, their parents work at the shop, and their families have lived here for generations.”

Abbey focuses on empowering her young students to aim high and love learning

“What I love about teaching at Menindee is the opportunity to prove to these kids that they are strong and smart. I see this every day,” she said.

“Reading is the passport for all learning and if we can give our students a strong head start, we are setting them up for success and creating a love for learning.”

Connecting with community

Moving to a remote school is all about connecting with community and executive principal Fiona Kelly said the young couple have won hearts and minds, gaining trust and classroom success.

“Josh and Abbey have taken time to build relationships with our families and are well respected in our community,” she said.

Menindee Central School is part of the NSW Department of Education’s Connected Communities Strategy, which puts culture and community at the heart of learning and school life.

Under Ms Kelly’s leadership and the school’s close relationships with the community, student results, retention rates and attendance have significantly improved in recent years.

Josh has led reformed teaching practices in explicit and responsive teaching. From the start to the end of 2024, school data shows an increase of more than 25% of primary students meeting education benchmarks.

He has implemented a behaviour curriculum where students are encouraged to believe they are ‘Strong in their Identity, and Smart in the Classroom’. 

Josh empowers students in Science Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) studies. Last year his students attended the NSW Space Discovery Program and one of his female students was awarded the 2024 Junior Deadly Scientist Award.

“As an educational leader, my leadership style reflects my moral purpose,” Josh said.

“I do not wish to climb the ladder alone; rather I build ladders for others to climb. That's what I have learnt is important for rural communities like Menindee.”

He also oversees the personal learning plan process for students in collaboration with Aboriginal families. Last year every family with students in primary school was visited.

For Abbey, every day teaching is a joy.

“Working at Menindee is like being a rockstar,” she said.

“Every day, my students run to me with a smile and can't wait to tell me about their previous afternoon, day or even their breakfast that morning.

“It takes a village to a raise a child and I am so grateful that Menindee will be that village for my own child, due in July. It’s a special bond that you only get in a small rural town.”