We recently released the findings from our Better Learning Better Lives pilot, with notable improvements in mental health, learning engagement and classroom behaviour for children, with 87% of children achieving or exceeding their goals.
The early intervention program was funded by the Australian Government Department of Education through the Emerging Priorities Program and provided much needed allied health services to five rural and remote schools in QLD, NSW and VIC across the 2023 school year. Over 560 children were supported, 20% of whom were Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
The program took an innovative and flexible community-led approach with the needs of educators, students and parents addressed through various allied health interventions including clinical assessments, teletherapy, therapeutic group work for children, professional development workshops for educators and parent workshops. Our multidisciplinary team worked with the schools consistently throughout the year, with each school receiving two weeklong visits and ongoing delivery of services via telehealth.
An evaluation of the program found:
- There were notable improvements in mental health, learning engagement, and classroom behaviour, with 87% of children achieving or exceeding their goals.
- 80% of parents strongly agreed they felt more confident supporting their child’s learning and development.
- 97% of educators said they were more confident supporting the children they work with as a result of the learning (from the development workshops).
- Over 85% of educators also strongly agreed or agreed that they had learnt new strategies and skills, they had implemented these strategies and skills and saw improved classroom learning as a result.
- The schools involved in the pilot reported a more positive learning environment with higher student engagement and motivation.
One of the school principals spoke of the impact they have seen in the classrooms, saying: “We had students at the beginning of the year who really struggled with emotional regulation – outbursts, sometimes violent, running away. Through supporting teachers with different strategies and resources, some [students] haven’t had an outburst in several months.”
Another school principal noted “[RFW] helped those students that were neurodiverse to understand how to regulate their emotions. This had a flow on effect – less disruptions in the classroom and improved outcomes. The teachers are more content and happy [because] the students are engaged.”
All school principals involved in the pilot said their school had participated because of the significant unmet need for allied health services in regional and remote areas. The barriers to accessing services included isolation and physical access, long waitlists, financial limitations, and parents/carers requiring more support to understand their child’s needs and how these can be met. All schools recognised the importance of allied health services for their students – including the importance of early intervention in the case of undiagnosed disability, and the need to address challenges as essential to supporting learning outcomes.
Jacqueline Emery, Royal Far West CEO, said this pilot has demonstrated the impact that service accessibility and hybrid models can have for children, families and schools in rural and remote communities.
“At Royal Far West our mission is to improve the health and wellbeing of country children. We were thrilled to deliver the Better Learning Better Lives pilot, and to have seen the improvements that it had for these children, parents, carers and educators”, said Ms Emery.
“It’s clear through this pilot and its findings that access to early intervention and the right supports can positively change a child’s learning trajectory. Programs like this can really improve the outcomes and trajectory for country children who have limited access to vital supports and services. More needs to be done to ensure country children are not disadvantaged, and funding for programs that we know make an impact, such as this one, should be considered.
The outcomes of the pilot demonstrate the effectiveness of a hybrid in-person/telehealth delivery model for children, families and schools in areas where access to services is limited or not available. It also demonstrates the effectiveness of a combination of therapy delivered directly to children, parent support and professional learning for educators, all delivered by allied health professionals.
To read the summary report: click here
To read the full report: click here