Rural Learning Exchange
Find information on the Rural Learning Exchange program and how it provides support for small rural schools.
What is the Rural Learning Exchange?
The Rural Learning Exchange provides support for small rural schools. It connects classes together allowing teachers and students to collaborate across the state in studying for the Higher School Certificate.
The program provides support for rural teachers and school communities to ensure quality learning with flexible pathways for every student, no matter where they learn.
How it works
Each subject has a Subject Coordinator who collaborates with the local teachers to build a common learning sequence and assessments.
The classes connect live, and the resources are stored in a central area for students and teachers to access. Live lessons allow students and teachers to collaborate on learning across the state.
Who it supports
The Rural Learning Exchange supports regional, rural and remote schools, with priority given to those with secondary student enrolment of 300 or less.
The following subjects are supported by the program:
- Agriculture
- Biology
- Business Studies
- English Standard
- Health and Movement Science
- Mathematics Standard
- Music
- Visual Arts.
To find out which schools are involved with the program, visit the Map of Rural Learning Exchange Schools.
Benefits
Collaboration and high expectations have been shown to result in better Higher School Certificate outcomes for students. By connecting the classes together to focus on the learning, the program aims to achieve the best Higher School Certificate outcomes for each student.
Benefits include:
- greater peer interactions
- access to experts and specialist resources
- rich learning experiences
- assessment and feedback as a larger class.
Subject-specific support networks
The Rural Learning Exchange has established subject-specific networks to support teachers. These include:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Agriculture
- Human Society and Its Environment
- Personal Development, Health and Physical Education
- Creative Arts.
These networks allow teachers to collaborate and share resources, building a community that supports students' learning.
Contact
For more information about the Rural Learning Exchange program, email RuralLearningExchange@det.nsw.edu.au.
Last modified date
24/04/2026
Business unit contact email
Executive director
Megan Kelly
Executive director’s business unit
Teaching Learning&Student Wellbeing