Winterfold Primary’s award-winning reconciliation journey began with one parent’s voice and grew into a whole-school commitment to listening, learning, and leading with community.
When Winterfold Primary School was named the winner of the 2023 Narragunnawali Award, it wasn’t just a moment of celebration – it was affirmation of years of grassroots work led by staff, students, and the local community.
Located in Beaconsfield, Fremantle, Western Australia, Winterfold is a mid-sized public primary school with around 330 students. While only about 10 per cent of its student population identifies as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, the school’s commitment to reconciliation runs deep and wide.
“This isn’t a top-down story,” says Principal Ms Kim Calabrese. “It’s a bottom-up journey. Reconciliation is a part of all members of our community, and our school has been willing to listen and act.”
The journey began in earnest around 2017, sparked by the advocacy of an Aboriginal parent who could see value in pulling together in a cultural journey for all.
“He was really advocating for his kids,” recalls teacher Ms Amy Clement, who has been at Winterfold for more than a decade. “He said, ‘We need to do something to support them in this environment’. That was the catalyst.”
Ms Clement, then a Humanities and Social Sciences (HASS) curriculum leader, joined forces with a colleague to form a Reconciliation Action Plan (RAP) committee.
In the context of Australian schools, a RAP is a formal framework developed in partnership with Reconciliation Australia. It outlines practical actions for building relationships, showing respect, and creating opportunities with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Schools like Winterfold use RAPs to embed reconciliation into their culture, curriculum, and community engagement.
“We saw a strong link between Aboriginal cultural standards and the HASS curriculum,” Ms Clement says. “We knew we needed to bring the community into the process.”
The parent who raised the initial concerns became a key figure in the committee. “He was very involved from the get-go,” Ms Clement says. “He encouraged others to come to meetings and have their voices heard. That’s how we developed our RAP vision – collaboratively, with our families.”
Teacher Ms Keely Wrathall, who joined the school two and a half years ago, says the process has been deeply reflective. “When I arrived, I saw an opportunity to contribute to the RAP work, and it aligned with my own passion for social justice and inclusion,” she says. “Amy and Fern [Vallesi] welcomed me into the RAP committee, and I’ve been learning ever since.”
Winterfold aligned its RAP with WA Department of Education’s Aboriginal Cultural Standards Framework, using it to guide improvements across relationships, leadership, teaching, learning environments, and resources.
“We layered the RAP on top of that framework,” Ms Clement says. “It helped us focus and ensure we were meeting expectations from both the community and the department.”
One of the school’s early initiatives was to introduce surveys for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, conducted at the start and end of each year. These explore students’ interests, sense of identity, and what makes school feel safe and enjoyable.
“It gives students a voice,” says Ms Wrathall. “We ask them about who they are, what they enjoy, what they want to learn about, and how connected they feel to their identity. If they’re not feeling proud or safe, we want to know how we can help.”
Staff were also surveyed to assess their own cultural competency, helping to identify areas for professional development. “We wanted to know what we didn’t know,” Ms Wrathall says. “That way, we could make sure we were providing meaningful education for all our students.”
Winterfold has accessed a range of professional development opportunities, including sessions from Reconciliation WA on trauma-informed practice and culturally responsive teaching.
“One session focused on understanding intergenerational trauma,” says Ms Clement. “Another helped us think about how Aboriginal students learn and how to design learning experiences through that lens.”
Ms Calabrese adds, “There’s no end point. It’s a continual journey. We’re always learning, always improving.”
The school also draws on resources from Reconciliation Australia and has made a concerted effort to embed Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives across the curriculum.
“We put the lens over everything – relationships, the learning environment, and especially teaching,” Ms Clement says. “If we’re teaching poetry, we include Aboriginal poets. If we’re exploring history, we include First Nations perspectives.”
Ms Wrathall says this approach is evident even in the youngest classrooms. “I teach pre-primary, and you can see how naturally the kids use Noongar* language and share it with each other. It becomes part of their lives.”
The school’s inclusive culture is also reflected in its student body. “Winterfold students are very active citizens,” Ms Calabrese says. “They’re engaged in learning about history, identity, and justice. They take pride in what we’re doing.”
Ms Clement agrees. “It’s not about ticking boxes,” she says. “It’s about creating a space where everyone feels safe, respected, and heard. That’s what reconciliation looks like in practice.”
With funding from the Narragunnawali Award, the school is now planning to build a yarning circle – a culturally significant space for storytelling, learning, and connection.
“We wanted to invest in something physical that would benefit both our Aboriginal students and the wider community,” Ms Wrathall says. “It’s about creating a space that everyone can learn from and enjoy.”
The school is working with Yarning Circle WA and seeking guidance from a local Elder to ensure the project is culturally appropriate and connected to the land’s history.
“We’re making sure everyone’s voice is heard – students, families, staff,” Ms Wrathall says. “It’s a collaborative effort, and it’s going to be something meaningful and lasting.”
The yarning circle will be co-designed with input from students, who will help shape its purpose and layout. “We want it to be a space that reflects our community’s story,” she says. “It’s not just about building something – it’s about building something together.”
Ms Calabrese, who joined the school as Principal two years ago, nominated Winterfold for the Narragunnawali Award after observing its strong practices and community ethos.
“They spoke to students, staff, and families,” she says. “There wasn’t a single standout moment. It was the collective impact of everything we do that made the difference. The willingness to listen, to act, and to keep improving.”
The award announcement in December 2023 was met with excitement across the school. “The students were elated,” Ms Calabrese says. “They felt proud, and they knew it was something they’d helped build.”
*Noongar, also spelled Nyungar or Nyoongar, is the Aboriginal language spoken by the Noongar people in the southwestern region of Western Australia.
