Hub showcase: Mirrung wellbeing Hub at Ashcroft Public School

Published

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 - 9:27 AM

Olivia Wright, Director of the School Gateway Project at the NSW Council of Social Service, shares insight into the Mirrung wellbeing Hub at Ashcroft Public School.

 

Please share an overview of Mirrung wellbeing Hub at Ashcroft Public School.

Mirrung (meaning belonging in Dharug language) is a wellbeing Hub and approach at the Ashcroft Public School in Liverpool, South West Sydney. The Hub was launched in August 2022 as a partnership between the New South Wales Council of Social Service (NCOSS) and the school, with support from the Department of Education – its aim is to improve the education and wellbeing outcomes for students by taking a whole-of-family approach. Mirrung is a welcoming and easy-to-access entry point to support the community. A dedicated team works to meet the needs of children and families by offering a wide range of services. They also help connect students and families with local health and social service organisations.

We’ve just launched the second report on Mirrung’s impact, which sets out progress and achievements over 2024. The report tells the story of a flourishing school community where families feel heard and supported, and children want to go to school. Eighty-nine percent of students from the school said they felt a positive sense of belonging – 20 percentage points higher than the state average.

Attendance and academic performance has shown some improvements but remain behind the state average reflecting the long-term challenges faced by students in the Ashcroft community.

 

What is your role at the Hub?

NCOSS, with funding through philanthropy, has worked in partnership with the school and community since 2021 to design and establish the Hub model. Since the Hub launched in 2022 we’ve been working alongside the school-based team to navigate and build connections with health and social service sector organisations providing the ‘glue’. NCOSS has been instrumental in ensuring that the Mirrung approach continues to be informed by evidence – including the collection of impact data included in the most recent Impact Report. Philanthropic funding was extended to December 2025.

 

Can you share the story how the Mirrung wellbeing Hub was established?

Every child deserves the opportunity to thrive, no matter where they live or their background. Research tells us that one of the key predictors of educational outcomes is a child’s postcode. Children from more disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to enter school with developmental vulnerabilities, have lower school attendance, poorer school achievement and leave school early. And these same children are more likely to experience unemployment, poor mental and physical health, homelessness and interactions with the justice system when they are adults. The Ashcroft community is one of great strength and resilience, but also deep and concentrated disadvantage. Addressing children’s needs at the right time helps to improve children’s health, development and learning, and supports lifelong benefits.

NCOSS approached the Principal of Ashcroft Public School, Poppy Loueizi, to explore an opportunity to work differently. There is a growing body of evidence that demonstrates the effectiveness of school-based wellbeing Hubs. The partnership spent approximately 12 months consulting with community and other stakeholders, conducting a program of desktop research and visiting other school-based Hubs including 2 of the Our Place schools in Victoria. During this time, a plan for Mirrung was created with help from Ashcroft Public School staff, students and community, and other important groups. The Hub was officially launched during Public Education Week in August 2022.

What do you see as the main benefit of having the Hub based in a primary school?

Schools are often the heart of a community, making them a convenient place for families to access support services. Regular communication and shared goals for student success help families build trust with school staff. At schools like Ashcroft Public School, which also have early education programs, there is an opportunity to support children and their families from an early age. It is well known that a child’s health and home life can affect their learning. Because teachers spend so much time with students, they gain a unique understanding of each child's needs and potential.

In surveys and focus groups that we conducted in 2024, parents suggested that knowing that the school cares and is a safe and supportive environment allows the children to be more focussed on learning. Teachers similarly said that they felt more confident to proactively support student health and wellbeing, and that this contributed to a positive learning environment.

 

What is your vision for the NCOSS School Gateway Project?

I recently attended the Sydney Morning Herald Schools Summit where Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family said “We can’t teach our way out of poverty”. While evidence shows that quality teaching has the biggest impact in improving academic outcomes - it is not enough to overcome the complex challenges that children living in poverty face.

Dr Michele Bruniges released research undertaken as part of a Paul Ramsay Foundation-funded University of Technology Sydney Fellowship that shows unequivocally that the education system does not deliver the same opportunities and support for every child – and that where a child lives has the most significant impact on their educational (and therefore life) outcomes. She highlighted that children who need the most support are being clustered in the same schools and this concentration of disadvantage is growing.

We know that there is not one answer to this problem – but we have the evidence that integrated schools as community platform approaches can provide multiple benefits. We need to recognise and embrace the spectrum of diverse models that have developed in response to local needs and building upon local strengths. We need to support best practice and we need to embed this approach as part of the future framework for education.

Find out more about the NCOSS School Gateway Project.