US private equity real estate firm Cabot Properties has finalised a deal to buy the institutional-grade multistorey industrial asset on Raymond Avenue in Matraville US private equity real estate firm Cabot Properties has finalised a deal to buy a Sydney industrial complex with the $137.6m play marking its entry into the gateway market which has invested over $15bn in logistics real estate has snapped up one of the first of the new style of multi-level industrial developments that have sprung up and the high pricing on the deal is likely to spur more developers to build new ­facilities The firm, which is already invested in Melbourne, is among a series of offshore companies keen to build up a local presence in the industrial property market, with Japan’s Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp just entering the market The Australian last year flagged that Cabot was poised to expand with the purchase of the institutional-grade multistorey industrial asset in the Sydney suburb of Matraville. It was then under construction, one of the projects developers were racing to build in order to ride the rental boom in inner city areas. The LaSalle Investment Management project, which was undertaken with local company Hale Capital Partners as development partner, is at 42-52 Raymond Avenue. The area has a shortage of warehouse space and limited developable land, making it attractive to investors looking for exposure to last mile logistics. Cabot said it bought the newly built 19,819sq m logistics property as it was aligned with its strategy to invest in infill industrial real estate in top global logistics markets. Among the first institutional grade multistorey logistics developments in Australia, the two-storey, ramp-up logistics facility has four units, one of which is leased to a local roofing material supplier. “We are excited to expand Cabot’s presence in Australia,” said Sally Box Cabot, managing director of investments, Asia Pacific. “As an established product type across Asia but an emerging one in the Australian landscape, multistorey warehouses are attractive for many reasons – but among the most important is the increased density, which maximises land use to both enhance sustainability and increase storage capacity, ultimately supporting greater distri­bution capabilities,” she said. This site sports good access to the Eastern Distributor, Southern Cross Drive, M5 Motorway and the new WestConnex M8 Motorway. The building is also near Sydney Airport and Port Botany. Cabot in 2022 snapped up an industrial property in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Campbellfield for $41m, which it is now developing into a $130m logistics estate. That deal marked the fifth acquisition by Cabot Properties in Melbourne, adding to its developments in the western suburb of Truganina and the other sites in Melbourne’s southeast. Colliers agents Gavin Bishop, Michael Crombie, Sean Thomson and Trent Gallagher handled the sale of the Matraville building. In the South Sydney area, a number of projects are under way by local sector giants Goodman Group and Charter Hall, as well as by Asian warehousing company ESR, and more product is expected to be traded as they are completed. realcommercial.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. The firm, which is already invested in Melbourne, is among a series of offshore companies keen to build up a local presence in the industrial property market, with Japan’s Hankyu Hanshin Properties Corp just entering the market The Australian last year flagged that Cabot was poised to expand with the purchase of the institutional-grade multistorey industrial asset in the Sydney suburb of Matraville one of the projects developers were racing to build in order to ride the rental boom in inner city areas which was undertaken with local company Hale Capital Partners as development partner The area has a shortage of warehouse space and limited developable land making it attractive to investors looking for exposure to last mile logistics Cabot said it bought the newly built 19,819sq m logistics property as it was aligned with its strategy to invest in infill industrial real estate in top global logistics markets Among the first institutional grade multistorey logistics developments in Australia one of which is leased to a local roofing material supplier “We are excited to expand Cabot’s presence in Australia,” said Sally Box Cabot “As an established product type across Asia but an emerging one in the Australian landscape multistorey warehouses are attractive for many reasons – but among the most important is the increased density which maximises land use to both enhance sustainability and increase storage capacity ultimately supporting greater distri­bution capabilities,” she said This site sports good access to the Eastern Distributor M5 Motorway and the new WestConnex M8 Motorway The building is also near Sydney Airport and Port Botany Cabot in 2022 snapped up an industrial property in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Campbellfield for $41m which it is now developing into a $130m logistics estate That deal marked the fifth acquisition by Cabot Properties in Melbourne adding to its developments in the western suburb of Truganina and the other sites in Melbourne’s southeast Sean Thomson and Trent Gallagher handled the sale of the Matraville building a number of projects are under way by local sector giants Goodman Group and Charter Hall as well as by Asian warehousing company ESR and more product is expected to be traded as they are completed NSW 20364 3 2For SaleFOR SALE | $2,850,000Elegant and Stylish Luxury Family ResidenceShowcasing exquisite architectural design and master build craftsmanship this newly built attached home presents a luxurious family residence in a class of its own Spacious interiors of great proportions seamlessly transitioning to your private fully automated outdoor alfresco entertaining area No stone has been left unturned as everything has been meticulously tailored for you and your family to enjoy • 4 large bedrooms of accommodation include: - Master bedroom with ensuite + walk in wardrobe + private balcony - 1 bedroom downstairs perfect for kids' room teenagers or in law accommodation with built in wardrobes and an all-inclusive bathroom adjacent • Sun-filled open living and dining with a fitted chandelier + custom built entertaining/ TV cabinet With full height and width sliding doors highlighted by high level clerestory windows creating a true entertainer's delight connecting the internal space with the external beauty • Entertainer's kitchen with stone benchtops full butler's pantry including sink and Fisher & Paykel appliances • Spacious lock up garage with internal access + car space and external side access • Ducted air-conditioning throughout with individual room temperature control • Surround sound speakers for all rooms in the house • Effortless flow to entertainer's backyard Centrally located within walking distance to Matraville Shopping Precinct within short distance to Eastgardens Westfield cafes and within close proximity to some of Eastern Suburbs best beaches This is the lifestyle that you have been looking for and we are proud to be helping Australians obtain finance that best suits their circumstances and allows them to realise their property dreams to ensure that you get the most competitive rate within a product best suited to your needs and we do it fast and for free Add articles to your saved list and come back to them any time A woman has been charged over the alleged domestic violence murder of a man stabbed to death at Matraville in Sydney’s eastern suburbs Residents of Murrabin Avenue were on Tuesday night confronted by the 31-year-old woman running up and down the dead-end street after the alleged attack on the 37-year-old man who died at the scene despite attempts from paramedics to save him Forensic officers at the scene on Wednesday morning.Credit: Kate Geraghty Police believe the pair were previously in a relationship sources not authorised to speak publicly confirmed The woman was arrested nearby and taken to hospital before she was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday Resident Natalie Lettice was coming home about 6pm and found the woman on the street We know that someone passed away,” she told reporters on Wednesday morning we made sure to stay inside and do what the police told us to We’re really surprised this could happen.” The woman and a man were seen arguing outside a local bottle shop on Tuesday afternoon in the hours before the stabbing Forensic technicians wearing protective suits on Wednesday collected evidence from the single-storey brick house while suited plain-clothes detectives were canvassing neighbouring homes The home remained a crime scene on Wednesday.Credit: Kate Geraghty If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see lifeline.org.au), the National Sexual Abuse and Redress Support Service on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter. A woman has been charged over the alleged domestic violence murder of a man stabbed to death at Matraville in Sydney\\u2019s eastern suburbs. Residents of Murrabin Avenue were on Tuesday night confronted by the 31-year-old woman running up and down the dead-end street after the alleged attack on the 37-year-old man, who died at the scene despite attempts from paramedics to save him. Police believe the pair were previously in a relationship, sources not authorised to speak publicly confirmed. The woman was arrested nearby and taken to hospital, before she was charged with murder and refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday. Resident Natalie Lettice was coming home about 6pm and found the woman on the street. \\u201CThe lady was yelling and screaming. We know that someone passed away,\\u201D she told reporters on Wednesday morning. \\u201CWe were really concerned, we made sure to stay inside and do what the police told us to. \\u201CIt\\u2019s a really family-friendly street. We\\u2019re really surprised this could happen.\\u201D The woman and a man were seen arguing outside a local bottle shop on Tuesday afternoon in the hours before the stabbing, a worker told the Herald. Forensic technicians wearing protective suits on Wednesday collected evidence from the single-storey brick house, while suited plain-clothes detectives were canvassing neighbouring homes. The woman had moved into the home in 2023. Next-door neighbour Ivan, who did not want to give his last name, said the household was usually quiet. If you or anyone you know needs help, call Lifeline on 13 11 14 (and see ), the on 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732), or Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800. Start the day with a summary of the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. . one lasagne at a timeThe Dinner Ladies began with two women selling home-cooked meals to friends It has grown into a business that delivers 40,000 meals a week and has plans to continue expanding in a $2 billion market Sophie Gilliatt (left) and Katherine Westwood at Dinner Ladies HQ in Matraville SaveLog in or Subscribe to save articleShareCopy link Share via...Gift this articleSubscribe to gift this article Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe In January, The Atlantic published a story whose headline read, “Dinner is Terrible: You’ll Never Get off the Dinner Treadmill.” Anyone who has rushed home after work to commence the “witching hour” duties of preparing cooking and serving a nutritious meal – different from the one you made the day before – understood the premise immediately getting food on the table is necessary – it’s also a slog It’s something Katherine Westwood and Sophie Gilliatt knew to be true back in 2007 when they launched The Dinner Ladies their food delivery business that has become synonymous in tony suburbs of Sydney (and now most of the country) for its home-cooked meals For those filled with dread at the idea of cooking a Sri Lankan curry on a weeknight Gilliatt and Westwood had the solution: buy one of theirs Gift 5 articles to anyone you choose each month when you subscribe. Follow the topics, people and companies that matter to you. An artist’s impression of 42-52 Raymond Avenue. US private equity firm Cabot Properties is poised to expand its Australian empire with the purchase of a major institutional-grade multi-storey industrial asset in the Sydney suburb of Matraville for about $150m. The company is targeting the purchase of a keenly sought industrial asset, which is positioned to ride the boom in rental growth in the area that has already sparked a series of projects from large developers. The LaSalle Investment Management project, undertaken with development partner Hale Capital Partners, is well under way at 42-52 Raymond Ave. It sits in a precinct that has an acute shortage of warehouse space and limited developable land, making it attractive to investors. The development was timed to capitalise on the leap in Matraville’s rents, which can be 60 per cent more expensive than other areas in western Sydney. Cabot Properties has declined to comment but it has been a big buyer of property in Melbourne. It last year snapped up an industrial property in Melbourne’s northern suburb of Campbellfield for $41m, which it is now developing into a $130m logistics estate. That deal marked the fifth acquisition by Cabot Properties in Melbourne, adding to its developments in the western suburb of Truganina and the other sites in Melbourne’s southeast. The Matraville building will be a state-of-the-art, two-storey logistics asset of 19,757sq m. Part of the ground floor of the under-construction building is already pre-leased. Due for completion in December, the innovative multi-storey logistics facility will spin off a strong net passing income of $6.683m per annum. The purchase will give Cabot a chance to lease to multiple tenants in the coveted South Sydney industrial market. With more than 63 per cent of the area’s multi-storey pipeline for the next two years already pre- committed due to surging occupier demand for new warehouses, the institutional-grade industrial sector has defied the broader commercial property slowdown. Colliers’ Gavin Bishop, Michael Crombie, Sean Thomson and Trent Gallagher are handling the sale. They declined to comment but they had billed the asset as the first full interest in a premier multi-storey logistics facility to go on the block in the country. The sale will provide a guide to the value of the new style of multi-level developments that have sprung up over the last year. South Sydney projects alone include the Goodman Axis Estate at 45 Burrows Rd, Alexandria (16,078sq m), Charter Hall’s ­Ascent on Bourke at 520-530 Gardeners Rd, Alexandria (25,803sq m) and Logos’ 28-30 Burrows Rd, Alexandria (7200sq m). Local Olympians Casey Dellacqua and James Chapman and Matraville Sports High School student and 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Team member Gwendolyn Ellis joined the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to formally recognise Matraville Sports High School as an Australian Olympic Pathway School on 29 November. We acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of all the lands on which we are located. We pay our respects to ancestors and Elders, past and present. We celebrate and honour all of our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Olympians. The Australian Olympic Committee is committed to honouring Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples’ unique cultural and spiritual relationships to the land, waters and seas and their rich contribution to society and sport. Text description provided by the architects. Designed for a family of two parents, a grandparent, two adult children, one girlfriend, and two dogs, this new inter-generational 290 sq m home in the eastern suburbs of Sydney was an opportunity for us to rethink the ‘art of living well’ in the context of a typical flat suburban block (1/2 of quarter acre). Light-filled and airy, this dwelling re-imagines the suburban home and experiments with new modes of multi-generational living…. © Katherine LuLocated about nine kilometres from the centre of Sydney, the surrounding suburb is sandy and suburban, defined by inter-war bungalows in red and liver coloured brick. The usual form of renovation on this kind of site is to build boundary to boundary, in a way that leaves the residents with limited access to sunlight, reduces visual and acoustic privacy, and provides little cross ventilation. 1st floor planEqually importantly in this suburban context, where the surrounding houses are often densely packed together, we wanted to make a house that would be ‘polite’ to its neighbours, respectful of their privacy and amenity, yet one which makes a statement that good design matters.  © Katherine LuInitially, we investigated working with the existing building.  However, that was dismissed because the original ridged and unarticulated plan meant the required amenity and solar access could not be achieved.  Instead, only the existing pool and garden at the rear of the block were retained, with a new internal courtyard inserted to the north to ensure direct sunlight in midwinter. © Katherine LuThe clients’ brief called for the main bedroom, ensuite and wardrobe to be located on the ground floor, so that the parents can live on one level only. The remaining bedrooms are on the second floor, east facing, along with a shared bathroom, study and a second living room, designed to enable multigenerational living in the house. © Katherine LuEarly and proper integration of passive and active design elements was essential to reducing built cost and minimizing running expenditure We aimed to have no sun on glass in summer yet give generous solar access to south facing living rooms and make effective use of cross ventilation Passive elements include the way the building is oriented building openings that maximise cross ventilation and ceilings on the top floor that extract hot air at high level and wind driven ventilators  Active elements include operable external blinds high grade insulation and carefully selected colors and materials You'll now receive updates based on what you follow Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors If you have done all of this and still can't find the email The Sydney Roosters are proud to announce a brand new agreement with Matraville Sports High School that will continue to strengthen the Club’s Pathways Programs. For over a decade, Matraville Sports High School has acted as a training base and produced a number of representatives through the Club’s Elite Pathways system who have graduated to both the NRL and NRLW competitions. We’ve had a great relationship with the school, and we’re pleased to have finalised an agreement for our pathways, in particular our female pathways, which continue to grow at a meteoric rate. While the new Memorandum of Understanding has a strong focus on the female pathways, most notably the Sydney Roosters Indigenous Academy Tarsha Gale Cup Under 19s side, the Club will still continue to introduce male players through the Harold Matthews Cup and SG Ball Cup competitions.  “We have trained all our teams from our pathways programs out of Matraville Sports High School for over the last six years,” said Head of Pathways, Blake Cavallaro. “So far, we have had a number of players join the Club’s Pathways, some of whom were part of the 2022 Tarsha Gale Cup Premiership-winning side. We’re looking to create a more unique pathway where we provide students the opportunity to play grassroots football while at school and represent the Sydney Roosters.  “We’ve had a great relationship with the school, and we’re pleased to have finalised an agreement for our pathways, in particular our female pathways, which continue to grow at a meteoric rate.”  Club Legends Guiding Next Gen of Roosters Stars Club Weekend Results | Sunday, 4th May, 2025 NSW Cup Highlights | Round Nine - Roosters v Bulldogs Roosters pull a premiership from the fire in a SG Ball Cup thriller CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) Cameron Murray scores for Australia in their Rugby League World Cup semi final win over New Zealand South Sydney Rabbitohs captain Cameron Murray has bought his first property with his fiancee and currently a key figure in their Rugby League World Cup campaign in England They secured the home off-market mid-year through NG Farah agents Cameron Airlie and Conor Howard with settlement taking place shortly after his selection in the Kangaroos’ squad last month Cameron Murray and Miranda Cross Picture: Jeremy Piper MORE: Dominatrix sells AC/DC, sex chapel for $6m Jana Pittman scores new $4m Hills home Superstar designer’s gorgeous new $2.85m highlands cottage No doubt it will be a renovation project after he returns from lining up for the green and gold in the upcoming final The four-bedroom property has a pool which sits at the rear of the 740sq m block It was selling for the first time since 2016 when it fetched $2,205,000 Murray and Cross will be moving from his two-bedroom Clovelly apartment, which he bought for $1.25m in 2019 This year he sold his Randwick investment for $1.1m Murray’s longtime family home went for auction in Botany on Saturday MORE: Sydney’s 50 best homes revealed The family had paid $630,000 off the plan in 2002 Murray’s teammate Josh Mansour spruced up the Murrays’ townhouse through his renovation company Renosell McGrath Coogee agents Marnie Seinor and Connor Mirotsos marketed the Victoria St property which sits on 255sq m opposite Garnet Jackson Reserve MORE: Block twist as Lambo guy makes shock buy Finally, an affordable family home in Sydney’s east? Epic, polarising search for Australia’s best homes third parties have written and supplied the content and we are not responsible for it completeness or reliability of the information nor do we accept any liability or responsibility arising in any way from omissions or errors contained in the content We do not recommend sponsored lenders or loan products and we cannot introduce you to sponsored lenders We strongly recommend that you obtain independent advice before you act on the content realestate.com.au is owned and operated by ASX-listed REA Group Ltd (REA:ASX) © REA Group Ltd. By accessing or using our platform, you agree to our Terms of Use. James Chapman – a former NSWIS rowing scholarship holder – and Matraville Sports High School student and 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Team member Gwendolyn Ellis joined the Australian Olympic Committee (AOC) to formally recognise Matraville Sports High School as an Australian Olympic Pathway School on 29 November Dual Olympian Casey Dellacqua said it’s really special for a local school to receive this type of recognition “To be able to have students walk into their school and see the Olympic Rings up on the wall “I know for myself it would’ve been the ultimate dream to go to a school that had this type of pathway in place.” “You never know what life is going to throw at you whether that’s injury or circumstance so I think having schools understand and recognise the importance of both your academic and sporting commitments is critical in raising and educating well-rounded human beings.” Current year 10 student and 2024 Winter Youth Olympic Team member Gwendolyn Ellis said Matraville Sports High School has helped her on her road to the Youth Olympic Games and looks forward to the continued support this partnership will bring “I think it’s great my school has received this designation from the Australian Olympic Committee,” Gwendolyn said “I think it will allow students to continue pursuing their dreams and strive to be the best in their chosen sports.” The school has produced a great range of Australia’s top sporting stars including Tokyo 2020 Rugby 7s athlete Maurice Longbottom and becomes the seventh NSW Sports High School to receive this unique designation Matraville Sports High School relieving principal William ‘Billy’ Lundon said through this partnership the school will look to continue developing Olympic athletes in the years to come it’s an amazing opportunity for our students to see real life Olympians and to see how they have achieved so much especially people from within our school community,” Billy said “We already try to support as many athletes as possible and if this is an extra way we can support students to excel in sport then we want to try do that as much as possible.” “We now have the Olympic Rings on our gym and at the school’s entrance so I think as soon as you enter the school it is clear to see that we are an Australian Olympic Pathway School,” he continued it’s about bringing people together and being inclusive and that is something we try to do as a school as well.” Special guests in attendance on the day included Roger Davis President of NSW Sports High School Association Director Educational Leaderships NSW Education Department Find out more about Australian Olympic Pathway Schools here. Story courtesy of Australian Olympic Committee The NSW Institute of Sport acknowledges the Aboriginal people and pays respect to our Aboriginal Elders – past Sign up for NSWIS emails to be the first to see inspiring content and news you agree to NSWIS' Privacy Policy and Terms of Use The mother of an Indigenous woman charged with murdering her ex-boyfriend has claimed her daughter had suffered a series of domestic violence attacks prior to the alleged tragedy Nikita Kirby, 31, was arrested near her sister's home in Matraville in Sydney's eastern suburbs on Tuesday night after emergency services were called at about 6.15pm Moments earlier her ex-boyfriend Scott Wallace had been found allegedly suffering from stab wounds 'It's been a rollercoaster of domestic violence in all our lives,' Nikita's mum Ruth Kirby said outside Waverley Local Court on Thursday morning 'And Nikita has put up with it for a long time.' Ms Kirby said she feared her daughter was going to be stabbed by her ex-lover 'He bashed her and she had bruises all over her Does a woman deserve that or should she put up with it 'He was told not to go there and he still went there.' Ms Kirby said the family had already suffered tragic heartbreak this year when her niece had been murdered 'These things are still happening to us,' she said was charged with murder (domestic violence) on Wednesday and was refused bail and did not appear at Waverley Local Court on Thursday off-again relationship with Wallace who had a long history of drug and alcohol abuse an AVO was taken out against Mr Wallace by police for Ms Kirby's protection That AVO lasted for two years and ended in October last year the single-storey brick home remained a crime scene with officers from Eastern Beaches Police Area Command and the State Crime Command's Homicide Squad Residents of Murrabin Avenue told Daily Mail Australia they saw a woman running up and down the dead-end street in the aftermath of the stabbing 'She was running down the street screaming,' a resident said we're shocked this has happened on our doorstep.' 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This is probably not the page you’re looking for It has turned out football stars and foreign ministers yet Matraville Sports High School has struggled to attract students it is reclaiming its place in the community It was as a new resident to the gentrifying southeast of Sydney that Chris Davison first noticed Matraville Sports High School and its sprawling sports fields But it was as an educator that Davison recognised the crisis the school was facing It had become known as simply a “sports” school and the assumption was it must be a bit rough and not very academic While the surrounding area was growing rapidly middle-class parents were “bussing their kids out” of the traditionally working-class area to private schools and enrolments had dwindled to around 250 “There’s such a shortage of schools in the area yet here is a school built for 1,000 enrolments with few students and resources,” says Professor Davison “It seemed such a shame for a school with a proud history and with past students that include former NSW Premier and federal Foreign Minister Bob Carr and football stars like Russell Fairfax and the Ella brothers.” “I want to adopt Matraville and I would love it if Matraville adopted us.” Matraville is one of more than 200 schools that welcome UNSW's School of Education’s pre-service teachers for in-classroom training that relationship started to deepen after a meeting between Davison and the new principal Nerida Walker The pair recognised much more could be done to strengthen ties that would boost the entire community “I said: ‘I want to adopt Matraville and I would love it if Matraville adopted us’,” says Davison of her initial discussion with Walker The meeting led to a scholarship program for six gifted students to attend UNSW’s renowned GERRIC holiday workshops and music tuition for students who would have otherwise gone without But it was a follow-up conversation at the school’s car boot sale that changed everything the pair came up with an Australian first: a commitment to establish a mutually beneficial school-based university education facility and a partnership that would actively tackle academic and social disadvantage Walker explains: “While we have elite sports coaching that we are known for and want to retain we’re trying to offset our sports branding with wider academic achievement “There have always been gifted students at Matraville High we’ve just never had the resources to assist them.” Matraville Sports High School principal Nerida Walker (left) with UNSW's Chris Davison Photo: Michael Anderson / Paramount Studios the partnership offers a valuable opportunity to enhance the University’s teacher training and its academic applied research Matraville is among Sydney’s most diverse schools It has one of the highest concentrations of Indigenous students (31%) and 24% of students are from non-English speaking backgrounds “I wanted to send more pre-service teachers and more of our academic staff to the school but we needed somewhere to put them,” Davison says there was a school building facing Anzac Parade that was underutilised It has since been kitted out and after wide community consultation the UNSW Matraville Education Program has been developed Its four strategic goals are to extend the student experience enhance teacher professional learning and enrich teacher education inclusive and community-building initiatives introduced by Walker since she took up the role of principal is already beginning to deliver results for staff and students Enrolments for Year 7 have tripled – from 13 students this year to an expected 40 next year The numbers have boosted the viability of the school and will attract additional resources from the state government As part of the UNSW Matraville Education Program around 70 student teachers from UNSW will be based at the school for extended periods throughout each semester for in-school and after-school enrichment programs These include drama and gifted education programs particularly focusing on the arts and science as well as literacy and numeracy initiatives for those students needing additional support utilising the school’s science labs and other facilities in teacher training Stacey Konstantopoulos is one of the undergraduate students who completed her pre-service training at Matraville “It was the first time for me being in a school with such diverse students It will hopefully make me a better teacher,” she says is particularly excited about the parent workshops now being offered They cover topics including homework supervision She believes the school’s strong ties with the surrounding area will be one of the greatest assets “Anyone who’s visited this school knows there’s a real sense of community here,” she says “It's like a gigantic dating agency where we match up all the key players” A high-level Advisory Board is helping to ensure the program’s viability Members include UNSW President and Vice-Chancellor Ian Jacobs as well as some high-profile political heavyweights Also central to the program is the backing of the Matraville teachers themselves “There’s a healthy educational dialogue,” says Thompson “When UNSW’s pre-service teachers are in the class so it’s useful to draw on new technologies and techniques that others can offer.” Holloway has been teaching at the school for 23 years and now lectures UNSW’s student teachers in Aboriginal Studies Method on site “It’s great to see people so enthusiastic about Aboriginal education,” she says Another supporter is Parents and Citizens’ President Nigel Williams whose eldest son attends an after-school class for gifted children His younger son also recently took part in a gifted education holiday program at UNSW “This is the best thing that has ever happened to the school,” Williams says “One of the key things is it gives the kids skills they wouldn’t otherwise get Davison says the partnership is a win-win for everyone She likens it to “a gigantic dating agency where we match up all the key players” knowledge and skills and in the end it’s about making a better learning environment for everyone.” Matraville Sports High School has a long history with UNSW The school was one of the first to partner with UNSW ASPIRE an outreach program that actively promotes higher education to primary and high school students from low socioeconomic backgrounds ASPIRE now works with 57 local and regional partner schools across NSW through established in-school workshops on-campus ‘taster days’ and residential programs for regional students ASPIRE’s work is delivering incredible results – since 2010 there has been a 48% increase in the number of university offers to ASPIRE students and a 200% increase in offers to UNSW And as ASPIRE grows it continues to offer more tailored initiatives A recently launched nine-week Links2Uni program was offered specifically to Indigenous students at Matraville High to increase their awareness of the link between school but many students had never set foot on campus before,” says ASPIRE director Ann Jardine “Links2Uni enabled them  to experience university life by engaging with current Indigenous students UNSW respectfully acknowledges the Bidjigal clan of the Dharawal Nation on whose unceded lands we are privileged to learn and recognise the broader Nations with whom we walk together UNSW acknowledges the enduring connection of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to culture The Uluru Statement my role is to run and oversee the Talented Sports Program At Matraville that consists of rugby league The students train in their respective teams with our high-quality coaches as well as doing strength and conditioning Other important parts of the role include organising and conducting trials for our new students and helping with the enrolment process Our numbers across the various programs have increased greatly and what first sparked your interest in this area I have been at Matraville Sports High School for six years I have been director of sport for two years My two passions are sport and working with kids You are coach of Sydney Football Club’s A-League Women as well – how do you balance out the two roles I am well organised and passionate about both positions which helps me balance the two roles physically and mentally Tell us about your time as a professional athlete You played in the National Soccer League and also for Australia I was lucky enough to have played over 10 seasons in the National Soccer League in Australia I loved being a professional; it was a great time and extremely rewarding I had dreams of playing at the highest levels and I was proud to be able to represent Australia in junior and senior competition Playing for the Socceroos was extremely special and a moment in time I will never forget What did you learn about being in these high-achieving I learnt that you always need to be prepared You need to be calm and consistent in your thoughts and at the same time have high energy and enthusiasm Discipline was always a key: discipline in your standards Working hard and always looking to learn also helps you stay at the top and keep you humble and grounded What advice do you have for people wanting to get into this career Gain as much experience as you can in teaching Once you have all this you are ready to go Be professional in your work and in your standards Be an excellent communicator and be someone who can build strong relationships which in turn will help get the best out of students and others Learn how to guide and support kids to help them achieve The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up here something about which we\\u2019re quite proud You are coach of Sydney Football Club\\u2019s A-League Women as well \\u2013 how do you balance out the two roles The Morning Edition newsletter is our guide to the day\\u2019s most important and interesting stories When Eddie Jones and the Ella brothers played for Matraville High in the mid-1970s training sessions began with a necessary ritual “We’d go around and pick up all the rocks and the junk off the field first,” Glen Ella recalls Not that training involved too many skinned knees The team’s all-conquering first XV in 1977 which featured four future Wallabies – Lloyd Walker and Mark Glen and Gary Ella – played touch footy for “90 per cent of the time” the Matraville High training sessions were the crucible for a running style that would help redefine Australian rugby within a couple of years a feisty young hooker from nearby Chifley called Eddie Jones he had nicknames for everybody,” Glen Ella said Jones and the Ella brothers were back at Matraville High – and the hooker from Chifley was still talking When Rugby Australia began thinking about an appropriate venue for Jones’ first press conference back as the new Wallabies coach grandiose locations like the Opera House were considered before the decision was made to return to where it began It was a humbler spot but a meaningful one for Jones Having grown up nearby and attended La Perouse Public School it was a literal homecoming and one that convinced the Ella brothers to come out in a rare appearance as a trio but Mark Ella had not been back since year 12 Eddie Jones and Mark Ella were reunited at Matraville High.Credit: Brook Mitchell In a school hall where star-studded honour boards still bear his name Jones choked up on his very first question Gary and I were talking out there and we’ve got the fourth Ella “We left here in 1977 and to come back here now is pretty special as he has done several times since being recruited back to the Wallabies in a shock January twist the 63-year-old began a virtuoso 40-minute performance laying out his vision for returning Australian rugby back to its glory days It was classic Jones as ringmaster; full of bold predictions a few cheeky barbs at Alan Jones and Clive Woodward and just enough intrigue to leave an already nervous Australian playing group up on the hook Gary Ella and Mark Ella in 1975.Credit: Kevin John Berry/Fairfax Media But Jones didn’t need to look much further past the gates of his old school to gauge the size of the challenge ahead Matraville Sports High still churns out high-profile athletes but outside of sevens star Maurice Longbottom most are NRL players these days – such as James Tamou and Cody Walker Jones knows winning back hearts and minds is a major part of his job and the only way to do that is to win footy games Eddie Jones talking with students of Matraville High.Credit: Brook Mitchell “Because they watched the Socceroos and they were excited about the Matildas in the women’s World Cup “All rugby kids and a few kids that played soccer We need to create role models and we need to create heroes for the young kids.” Indigenous role models in rugby are still too few Four of the 14 Indigenous players to have played for Wallabies were in Jones’ backline in 1977 even the Ellas don’t attend Test matches much any more Eddie Jones talks with media at Matraville High.Credit: Getty “Mark was saying he doesn’t want to come and watch us play until we play well Jones used the Ella-inspired Wallaby revival in the 1980s as a touchstone for how he wants the Wallabies to play in his second stint but talent doesn’t win World Cups,” Jones said “What wins World Cups and wins the hearts of people is teams who play with that same spirit the Ellas had “We want to play tough so at the end of tight games That’s the traditional Australian digger spirit We want that in the team and that’s the opportunity for the players this year Jones said the goal was to win the World Cup and with a Wallabies team containing several World XV players It’s hyper-confident stuff only a pre-season allows given Jones has identified belief and confidence as a missing ingredient from the Wallabies Chairman Hamish McLennan even got in on the act saying he’d had feedback with almost “100 per cent approval for Eddie coming back” which is slightly at odds with a Herald poll of over 21,000 readers that swung back and forth before settling on 51 per cent against Eddie coming back Jones was asked if he felt comfortable being on centre stage with the role of as Australian rugby’s “Messiah” “I think I made the point today I’m not the messiah,” Jones smiled Sometimes you just need someone to beat the drum to get people walking faster When Eddie Jones and the Ella brothers played for Matraville High in the mid-1970s, training sessions began with a necessary ritual. \\u201CWe\\u2019d go around and pick up all the rocks and the junk off the field first,\\u201D Glen Ella recalls. Not that training involved too many skinned knees. The team\\u2019s all-conquering first XV in 1977, which featured four future Wallabies \\u2013 Lloyd Walker and Mark, Glen and Gary Ella \\u2013 played touch footy for \\u201C90 per cent of the time\\u201D. In the shadow of Long Bay jail, the Matraville High training sessions were the crucible for a running style that would help redefine Australian rugby within a couple of years. And there, commentating the whole thing, was one of the Ellas\\u2019 best mates, a feisty young hooker from nearby Chifley called Eddie Jones. \\u201CWe were running around, and he\\u2019d be doing commentary, he had nicknames for everybody,\\u201D Glen Ella said. \\u201CHe was very cheeky. But when he got on a football field, like all of us, it was the time to switch on. But he\\u2019d be chirping out there, too.\\u201D On Tuesday, 45 years later, Jones and the Ella brothers were back at Matraville High \\u2013 and the hooker from Chifley was still talking. When Rugby Australia began thinking about an appropriate venue for Jones\\u2019 first press conference back as the new Wallabies coach, grandiose locations like the Opera House were considered before the decision was made to return to where it began. It was a humbler spot but a meaningful one for Jones. Having grown up nearby and attended La Perouse Public School, it was a literal homecoming and one that convinced the Ella brothers to come out in a rare appearance as a trio. Jones later taught at the Matraville High, but Mark Ella had not been back since year 12. In a school hall where star-studded honour boards still bear his name, Jones choked up on his very first question. \\u201CMark, Glen, Gary and I were talking out there and we\\u2019ve got the fourth Ella, a red-headed one, Greg [Stores], who played on the wing,\\u201D Jones said. \\u201CWe left here in 1977 and to come back here now is pretty special. It\\u2019s a good feeling. It\\u2019s quite emotional.\\u201D Jones composed himself and, as he has done several times since being recruited back to the Wallabies in a shock January twist, the 63-year-old began a virtuoso 40-minute performance, laying out his vision for returning Australian rugby back to its glory days. It was classic Jones as ringmaster; full of bold predictions, convincing bluster, a few cheeky barbs at Alan Jones and Clive Woodward and just enough intrigue to leave an already nervous Australian playing group up on the hook, legs dangling. But Jones didn\\u2019t need to look much further past the gates of his old school to gauge the size of the challenge ahead. Matraville Sports High still churns out high-profile athletes, but outside of sevens star Maurice Longbottom, most are NRL players these days \\u2013 such as James Tamou and Cody Walker. Even chatting to schoolkids on the oval, Jones didn\\u2019t find too many rugby players. \\u201CRugby\\u2019s shit,\\u201D one student volunteered. Jones knows winning back hearts and minds is a major part of his job and the only way to do that is to win footy games. \\u201CYou saw out there in the school, the kids, year seven kids, most of them played soccer,\\u201D Jones said. \\u201CBecause they watched the Socceroos and they were excited about the Matildas in the women\\u2019s World Cup. And there was a small number of rugby. When we were at school here, when Gary and Mark and Glen were here, it would have been the opposite. \\u201CAll rugby kids and a few kids that played soccer. We need to create role models and we need to create heroes for the young kids.\\u201D Indigenous role models in rugby are still too few, according to Jones. Four of the 14 Indigenous players to have played for Wallabies were in Jones\\u2019 backline in 1977, and apart from special invitations, even the Ellas don\\u2019t attend Test matches much any more. \\u201CMark was saying he doesn\\u2019t want to come and watch us play until we play well. We need Mark to be at the ground. That\\u2019s good to hear. We want that pressure on ourselves. We want to perform. I\\u2019m only a small part of it,\\u201D Jones said. Jones used the Ella-inspired Wallaby revival in the 1980s, too, as a touchstone for how he wants the Wallabies to play in his second stint. \\u201CWe want to start that period again. We\\u2019re not short of talented players here, but talent doesn\\u2019t win World Cups,\\u201D Jones said. \\u201CWhat wins World Cups and wins the hearts of people is teams who play with that same spirit the Ellas had. Being aggressive, playing with a certain panache.\\u201D \\u201CWe want to play tough so at the end of tight games, you win those tight games. That\\u2019s the traditional Australian digger spirit. We want that in the team and that\\u2019s the opportunity for the players this year. Where can we take the team? If we play like that, people will want to watch rugby again.\\u201D Jones said the goal was to win the World Cup, and with a Wallabies team containing several World XV players, it was possible. It\\u2019s hyper-confident stuff only a pre-season allows, and no doubt deliberately, given Jones has identified belief and confidence as a missing ingredient from the Wallabies. Chairman Hamish McLennan even got in on the act, saying he\\u2019d had feedback with almost \\u201C100 per cent approval for Eddie coming back\\u201D, which is slightly at odds with a Herald poll of over 21,000 readers, that swung back and forth before settling on 51 per cent against Eddie coming back . After years of turmoil, Jones was asked if he felt comfortable being on centre stage with the role of as Australian rugby\\u2019s \\u201CMessiah\\u201D. \\u201CI think I made the point today I\\u2019m not the messiah,\\u201D Jones smiled. \\u201CWe\\u2019re all in this together. Sometimes you just need someone to beat the drum to get people walking faster. Maybe that\\u2019s the role at the moment.\\u201D Watch all the action from the with every match streaming ad-free, live and exclusive on Stan Sport. Round 1 kicks off this Sunday 5 February, with (1:05am AEDT), (3:35am AEDT) and (1:50am AEDT). ABC News News HomeMatraville Sports High School becomes training ground for student teachers exposes them to 'real issues'Share Matraville Sports High School becomes training ground for student teachers exposes them to 'real issues'By Andy Park7.30 Matraville Sports High School student teacher Courtney Thompson in the classroom in November 2015 Link copiedShareShare articleMatraville Sports High School is being hollowed out The often overlooked working class Sydney suburb wedged between the airport Long Bay Gaol and some of the country's wealthiest suburbs is slowly being gentrified Every school day at 8:00am that polarisation is evident "What you see at the bus stop is kind of repeated all over Sydney actually," Professor Chris Davison told 7.30 She is one of the new gentrifiers and also head of the School of Education at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) "You'll see the morning buses pulling up and picking up kids in private school uniforms and you'll see other public buses pulling up and dropping off kids that are coming to Matraville so the two are sort of passing and that's about as close as they get to each other," she said That has seen enrolment at Matraville Sports High School fall from capacity of 800 down to just 250 students Do you know more about this story? Email 7.30syd@your.abc.net.au Nerida Walker, Matraville's principal, acknowledges the demographic shift that has played a part in the change. "The area itself is extremely diverse," she told 7.30. "The demographics have changed very quickly because of state movement planning changes and there's more development happening." But she said the view of the school is at odds with reality. "Once a school has a certain kind of reputation the school often has to work hard keep telling the public that this is actually the truth," she said. A chance meeting between Ms Walker and Professor Davison could be about to change all that. "I didn't really understand who she was," Ms Walker admitted. "She said, 'in an ideal world, Nerida, what would you want for the kids of this school?'" "I said, 'I want what everybody else gets, which is access to every opportunity, regardless of the family's income'." Now Matraville has more teachers to give the students the attention they need, and the UNSW is giving its student teachers much more classroom experience than they would normally receive. Up to 60 student teachers will now be on the Matraville campus at any one time. "For too long teacher education has been stuck in an ivory tower with occasional excursions out into the real world," Professor Davison said. Courtney Thompson says the program gave her a taste of life in the classroom. (ABC: 7.30) "This is the first time that a secondary campus has been established for a university teacher education facility in Australia. "The kids can get their hands dirty — student teachers need to see what it's like to actually deal with an extended school community." It is exposure to real schools, with real issues far beyond standard teacher education. For student teachers like Courtney Thompson, from predominately white backgrounds, it has been an eye-opener. "My first reaction was one of shock," she told 7.30. "I was so certain that I wanted to be a teacher, and I was so excited when I went to my first prac (practical teaching block), and then I got here and I was like, what am I doing? What am I doing here?" There is now one teacher for every five students to support both remedial learning classes and gifted students like Kea Smith. Student Kea Smith says the program encouraged her to pursue her potential. (ABC: 7.30) She is one of the schools many Polynesian students and, due to family circumstances, has already been to a number of schools in the area. "My mum suffers from a couple of different mental illnesses so she does need some care — it's part of my lifestyle, it's what I live and that's what I have to do every day," Kea told 7.30. But Kea is a bright and ambitious student. Her exposure to the student teachers from UNSW and participation in the programs has shown her what is educationally possible in her future. "In my family alone no-one has [gone to university]," she said. "So for me, for my younger brother and sister, I want to make that possible for them, to show them it's possible." And that extra attention has borne fruit — Kea has just been named school captain for next year. "She turned around and thanked me for the opportunity," Ms Walker said. "I didn't realise how much it meant to a kid like Kea, to let her know that she could do this. She had never had that message before." For more on this story watch 7.30 tonight on ABC TV. 6m Related topicsEducation Why Trump wants to reopen an infamous US prison — and whether it's possibleTopic:Explainer Pharmacist Movses Injejikian from Sydney’s TerryWhite Chemmart (TWC) Matraville which is pharmacy number 500 for the group What have been some of your career and store highlights Please elaborate on the valuable lessons learnt from them Our pharmacy (243sqm in size) is in a shopping centre in the heart of Matraville in the eastern suburbs of Sydney and has a broad customer base including the elderly parents and the La Perouse Aboriginal community Having worked in several suburbs in Sydney and overseas I knew success depended heavily on how well I understood the needs of the local community That’s why I moved to Matraville in 2021 – to fully immerse myself in the community and become a true health leader renovating the pharmacy has also been one of the biggest highlights of the journey The fresh new look has been generating very positive feedback from customers and the team is loving working in the new surrounds vibrant place for customers and has attracted people from all areas of Sydney and beyond It’s very exciting for the community and for the team What has been your most satisfying moment in the pharmacy I get the most satisfaction from the trust we continue to gain from the people around Matraville from the professional health services they receive from our highly trained teams to the value they get from the competitive pricing wide range of products on offer and our promotional programs makes coming to work all the more empowering Describe your day-to-day challenges and how you overcome them Clinical interventions are core to the health services we provide at TerryWhite Chemmart Matraville We have many customers who are on multiple medications and by following the TWC MedsChecks guidelines we’re now able to deliver a comprehensive medicine review of any given customer within a short period of time Taking the time to listen to our patients is important particularly as many of them who visit us are doing so because they’re in pain or concerned about their medical condition We use the dispensing time as an opportunity to connect with our patients on a deeper level by having a conversation about their problems and developing a better understanding of their worries Doing this enables us to build trust and ultimately deliver the best professional advice we can about their medicines What is it like being part of the TWC group TerryWhite Chemmart is more than just a name above the door: it’s a partnership The level of support I receive from the group is second to none and I know that they’re on this journey with me We were honoured to have Terry and Rhonda White [founders of the Terry White Chemists brand which merged with the Chemmart group in 2016] EBOS CEO John Cullity and numerous representatives from the TWC support office team at our recent grand opening to help celebrate this incredible milestone along with the other successful TWC pharmacies in Australia will be viewed as a prototype to attract other independent pharmacies to rebrand to TWC Tell us about the ethos of your pharmacy and how it differs from other pharmacies in your view We try not to take ourselves too seriously and often our customers will walk in hearing laughter Acknowledging our customers within the first 30 seconds of entering is one of the simplest targets we have in providing a satisfying customer experience We love getting to know our customers and making them feel welcome in our pharmacy Even their dogs who visit get treats while waiting for their owners Why is looking after your community so important to your pharmacy What do you think your customer base values the most about your pharmacy I’d like to think our community sees us as a destination for all their health needs and that every time they walk into our pharmacy they’re provided with expert advice and genuine care But we also want our customers to walk away with more than what they expected when coming in Going over and above is what we strive for as a team How did the Covid-19 pandemic most significantly change the way your pharmacy operates filling the gaps of medicine shortages are just a few examples of the challenges we experienced during the pandemic there have also been many positives that have come out of the pandemic such as helping customers better understand the important role a pharmacist plays in the community How has your team performed during the challenges of Covid our friendly staff have never let their smiles leave their faces The pandemic has placed enormous strain on pharmacy and pharmacy teams particularly with the recent shortage of rapid antigen tests (RATs) when they were in high demand honest communication through a variety of channels helped manage the countless inquiries we received The last few years have certainly been testing on our teams and customers so we’ve just had to take each day as it comes and take any learning we can from every experience What is your most successful OTC category in your pharmacy and why We’re located close to some of the nicest beaches in Sydney and therefore receive numerous skincare inquiries TerryWhite Chemmart has an exceptional range of skin products that can provide relief for a range of skin conditions so we’ve become quite the destination for skincare Does your pharmacy offer professional services providing sleep apnoea consultation is the most popular service we deliver in TWC Matraville Educating the community about this medical condition was our target for 2021 and we’re glad that we could relieve a few sleep apnoea sufferers from this hidden issue What do you expect the rest of 2022 has in store for pharmacy touching on any changes you think will occur We now have a wider range of OTC products after rebranding to TerryWhite Chemmart which has already increased customer traffic significantly We’re set up to meet all vaccination services requirements due to the incredible program that TWC provides in this area and are also now well prepared to deliver the supervised RATs program thanks to the support and guidance of the TWC health team Who knows what the next few years will bring us but I take comfort in knowing we have an incredible support network behind us that will help guide us through any challenges that may come our way What do you look forward to the most in 2022 We’re gearing up to rebrand our pharmacy in Campbelltown [on Sydney’s south-western outskirts] as TerryWhite Chemmart very soon We might just be the store number 600 there This feature was originally published in the May issue of Retail Pharmacy magazine Retail Pharmacy has been the leading trade publication in the pharmacy industry We have always understood the importance a pharmacy has on its community and with an in-depth integrated approach we have provided the most up to date information for both the pharmacy-specific and retail- related business A wild brawl has erupted outside a 7-Eleven after footage appeared to show a man punching a female police officer in the face Shocking footage emerged on Thursday of the fight outside a petrol station at Matraville, in Sydney's east The video shows two police officers with a seated handcuffed woman - as a group of men lurk nearby The male officer orders three men to move back before a fourth man appears to go and check on the welfare of the handcuffed woman The cuffed woman tries to stand up but falls back to the ground as a female cop standing guard tells her to sit down It prompts the male officer to run over and hold the woman in place as the men approach him don't you f***ing touch her!' one of the men shouts The male officer pushes the man who was standing near the woman and tells him to 'move back' He then tells the other men to move back as they shout The male officer walks over to the same man he pushed earlier and speaks with him before placing his hand on his arm The man begins struggling in response and starts hitting the male cop He then hits the female officer in the head as she runs over to break up the scuffle 'F***ing c****' the male officer says as he grabs the man A police squad car and wagon arrive as the same time punches are thrown The man punches the male officer numerous times before he is tasered by the female cop he hit in the head The man yells out and struggles as two cops lay on top of him He is then surrounded by more police and arrested with arriving officers ordering the other men to move away immediately NSW Police told Daily Mail Australia the incident occurred in February and was before the courts Everyone told Maria Kaivananga to avoid Matraville Sports High Fellow primary school parents tried to put it delicately as they gossiped in the playground at pick-up "It's too cultural," said one referring to the schools' immigrant and Indigenous students "It's poorly resourced," said others Some pointed out that Kaivananga's daughter was academic Faith's 11-year-old friends were blunt and insistent 'don't go to Matraville Sports High because it's a bad school'." Kaivananga is not the type to base a big decision on rumour especially the school's relationship with the University of NSW which gives pupils one-on-one maths coaching with uni students her decision "did turn heads at the primary school" Maria Kaivananga with her daughter Faith and son Genesis outside Matraville Sports High School.Credit: Louise Kennerley few of Kaivananga's neighbours looked beyond the rumours there are just 244 children enrolled in Matraville Sports High It is not the only public school in the area that's suffering either; JJ Cahill Memorial High in Mascot has a third of the 900 students that once populated its corridors the school that absorbed most of the area's children when Maroubra High closed is at less than half its 1100-student capacity Some parents are looking to out-of-area schools Many are opting for reasonably priced local private schools and it's a problem also facing other rapidly gentrifying areas of Sydney where middle-class families keen to put their money in a suburb's property are less keen on putting their faith in its schools reinforcing reputations that are hard to shake "The whole nature of the suburbs have changed the [school's] reputation is still the old one of 30 years ago," says former education minister and National Party MP Adrian Piccoli the Australian education system has become big on choice Not just choice between private and public schools but choice within the public system itself its principal can accept out-of-area enrolments parents begin to choose schools as they might choose a restaurant opting for one that's full over its empty neighbour "We have created so much choice in the system that we have made everyone extremely anxious about their schooling choices," says former Labor education minister Verity Firth A popular school can draw students away from other schools too crowded - while there is plenty of room at nearby Dulwich Hill and Lewisham now a professor at UNSW's Gonski Institute for Education but one has a reputation and everyone thinks they need to send their kids there." Catchments are only strictly enforced when a school is full; otherwise out-of-area placements are up to the principal Some cherry pick the top students from the surrounding suburbs - the school captains the academically gifted - and avoid the children with "flags" for problem behaviour "There was a parent who told us the principal was after certain types of families who could contribute to fundraising who had influential contacts in the media industry," says Christina Ho from the Centre for Policy Development high student numbers mean more resources - and more cachet "There is professional kudos in high enrolments," says one critic But the practice deeply frustrates principals at the schools with dwindling numbers funding and too few of the kind of students that inspire their peers Last week, Labor announced it would build a new school in the eastern suburbs if it won government backing a local lobby group's argument that the co-ed Rose Bay Secondary College school is full Randwick's high schools are single sex and there is a pressing need to cater for an enrolment boom in eastern suburbs primary schools The move caused deep frustration a few kilometres south where many parents and teachers don't buy the argument that Matraville and worry they will lose yet more enrolments to this shiny new school "Surely it would be cheaper to run a new bus to Maroubra than build a new school," says one "If you build another high school in the eastern suburbs you are just going to take more kids away from Randwick Boys' The P&C president of Randwick Boys' Her sons' school - which she loves - is at half its potential capacity which she attributes to a local preference for co-ed education and a misguided perception that it's a "rough" school facilities and appearance play the biggest role [in low enrolments] "Everyone loves a new glitzy school with modern learning spaces but the answer cannot be to build new schools without or before upgrading or even rebuilding existing sites." She supports the NSW government's proposal to turn the boys' school into a co-ed campus but experts agree that the bigger issue is an ideological shift towards school choice over recent decades which has resulted in a hierarchy within the public school system "I wouldn't blame parents for playing the game because they don't set the rules of the game," says Dr Ho "There needs to be a change in the rules in the whole mentality of policies around school choice." Ho studied a gentrifying Sydney suburb and found that as the area grew wealthier Some schools became middle-class hubs; others had all the disadvantaged and non-English speaking children "What a lot of families are looking for is a particular cohort that they think will be beneficial to their child," she says "Wherever governments are pushing policies around school choice There will be some winner schools and some loser schools." Ho's colleague at the Centre for Policy Development says much of the middle-class parental angst over school choice is pointless anyway Clustering advantaged students together doesn't improve academic outcomes "A compounding of advantaged kids in advantaged school doesn't seem to add much to their results," he says overall school results are affected." To reduce Sydney's penchant for school shopping Ho would like to see a shift in the perception of schools from a commodity to a community hub social background and advantage - the kind of schools Sydney had in the 1970s and '80s before catchment rules were loosened in the name of choice "The local school reflected the local community," she says Piccoli says stricter enforcement of catchments could help and if parents are choosing to send their kids to a bigger school I am not saying that's a decision they shouldn't be able to make." While politicians are worried about a backlash if they fiddle too much with school choice (this can be delicate even when it comes to one school; for years governments have been too wary of Randwick Girls' parents to force the merger of the two Randwick schools) Piccoli says the Department of Education is working hard behind the scenes to build enrolments often using techniques as simple as re-branding have been an effective way of keeping parents in the state system The Balmain campus at Sydney Secondary college.Credit: Janie Barrett One of the department's great successes came in the early 2000s Balmain and Leichhardt high schools had dwindled to the point that they were unsustainable and all three had the kind of reputations that sent parents running the department "middle class-ified" them and a new structure (two junior and one senior campus) "They also offered a selective stream playing to the desire of middle-class parents to run those sorts of programs," says Firth Another school that has revived its reputation is Endeavour Sports High School in Caringbah you didn't go there because the boofy sports kids went," says Piccoli "Now it's in strong demand from local students They've imposed pretty strict rules on those who go there through the selective sports stream - you have to achieve academically Money has been spent on the outside of the school Some of the schools with a bad reputation - they look terrible And because their enrolments have been flat or declining the department has been spending less on them Firth has middle-class friends who agonise over school choice The first is that the most significant influence on a child's education is their family "Stop stressing so much about the school and more about what you deliver to your child," she tells them The other is that it only takes a couple of families to send their children to the local school for others to follow That can be enough to lift a school from "troubled" to "on the turn" "You often only need a few first adopters who go in there and contribute," says Firth "It doesn't take that long for reputation to swing around they don't want to see their child as a social change experiment But it does at some point require some sort of leap of faith." And when parents look closely and objectively at their local public schools "I've become more and more impressed by the system rather than less impressed," says Firth "A lot of people judge without really trying We have a great public education system .. and it could only be made better by more parental engagement Maria Kaivananga is happy with her choice; Faith "They really look at ways to provide these opportunities for the students," she says I am happy." Her son will go there next year she overheard a teacher at her kids' primary school talking about Matraville Sports High 'apparently it's really turning around'," says Kaivananga "The fact that my daughter goes to that school has made people have second thoughts." Continue the conversation at our SMH Student Facebook group referring to the schools' immigrant and Indigenous students \\\"It's poorly resourced,\\\" said others Some pointed out that Kaivananga's daughter was academic Faith's 11-year-old friends were blunt and insistent 'don't go to Matraville Sports High because it's a bad school'.\\\" especially the school's relationship with the University of NSW her decision \\\"did turn heads at the primary school\\\" few of Kaivananga's neighbours looked beyond the rumours It is not the only public school in the area that's suffering the school that absorbed most of the area's children when Maroubra High closed and it's a problem also facing other rapidly gentrifying areas of Sydney where middle-class families keen to put their money in a suburb's property are less keen on putting their faith in its schools \\\"The whole nature of the suburbs have changed the [school's] reputation is still the old one of 30 years ago,\\\" says former education minister and National Party MP Adrian Piccoli opting for one that's full over its empty neighbour \\\"We have created so much choice in the system that we have made everyone extremely anxious about their schooling choices,\\\" says former Labor education minister Verity Firth now a professor at UNSW's Gonski Institute for Education but one has a reputation and everyone thinks they need to send their kids there.\\\" the academically gifted - and avoid the children with \\\"flags\\\" for problem behaviour \\\"There was a parent who told us the principal was after certain types of families who could contribute to fundraising who had influential contacts in the media industry,\\\" says Christina Ho from the Centre for Policy Development \\\"There is professional kudos in high enrolments,\\\" says one critic backing a local lobby group's argument that the co-ed Rose Bay Secondary College school is full where many parents and teachers don't buy the argument that Matraville \\\"Surely it would be cheaper to run a new bus to Maroubra than build a new school,\\\" says one \\\"If you build another high school in the eastern suburbs you are just going to take more kids away from Randwick Boys' Her sons' school - which she loves - is at half its potential capacity which she attributes to a local preference for co-ed education and a misguided perception that it's a \\\"rough\\\" school \\\"Everyone loves a new glitzy school with modern learning spaces but the answer cannot be to build new schools without or before upgrading or even rebuilding existing sites.\\\" She supports the NSW government's proposal to turn the boys' school into a co-ed campus A school's physical environment is important It's another factor that works against small schools \\\"Having buildings that don't look like they are falling down,\\\" she says That can make all the difference when parents go school shopping It's something so basic that it's hard to fathom why it doesn't happen.\\\" If so the government's $6 billion spend on new and upgraded schools over the next six years - including - could lure some families back to the state system \\\"I wouldn't blame parents for playing the game because they don't set the rules of the game,\\\" says Dr Ho \\\"There needs to be a change in the rules in the whole mentality of policies around school choice.\\\" \\\"What a lot of families are looking for is a particular cohort that they think will be beneficial to their child,\\\" she says \\\"Wherever governments are pushing policies around school choice There will be some winner schools and some loser schools.\\\" Ho's colleague at the Centre for Policy Development Clustering advantaged students together doesn't improve academic outcomes \\\"A compounding of advantaged kids in advantaged school doesn't seem to add much to their results,\\\" he says To reduce Sydney's penchant for school shopping social background and advantage - the kind of schools Sydney had in the 1970s and '80s \\\"The local school reflected the local community,\\\" she says I am not saying that's a decision they shouldn't be able to make.\\\" governments have been too wary of Randwick Girls' parents to force the merger of the two Randwick schools) Piccoli says the Department of Education is working hard behind the scenes to build enrolments One of the department's great successes came in the early 2000s the department \\\"middle class-ified\\\" them playing to the desire of middle-class parents to run those sorts of programs,\\\" says Firth you didn't go there because the boofy sports kids went,\\\" says Piccoli \\\"Now it's in strong demand from local students They've imposed pretty strict rules on those who go there through the selective sports stream - you have to achieve academically The first is that the most significant influence on a child's education is their family \\\"Stop stressing so much about the school and more about what you deliver to your child,\\\" she tells them That can be enough to lift a school from \\\"troubled\\\" to \\\"on the turn\\\" \\\"You often only need a few first adopters who go in there and contribute,\\\" says Firth \\\"It doesn't take that long for reputation to swing around they don't want to see their child as a social change experiment But it does at some point require some sort of leap of faith.\\\" \\\"I've become more and more impressed by the system rather than less impressed,\\\" says Firth \\\"A lot of people judge without really trying \\\"They really look at ways to provide these opportunities for the students,\\\" she says I am happy.\\\" Her son will go there next year she overheard a teacher at her kids' primary school talking about Matraville Sports High 'apparently it's really turning around',\\\" says Kaivananga \\\"The fact that my daughter goes to that school has made people have second thoughts.\\\" Continue the conversation at our Facebook group A teenage girl has been terrified by a middle-aged stranger she allegedly found sitting in her parked car triggering a dramatic citizen's arrest by bystanders The 19-year-old woman was getting into her car at the end of her night shift when she discovered the 44-year-old man inside at about 1am on Friday on Bunnerong road, Matraville in Sydney's east Bystanders came to her aid and repeatedly asked the man to leave the car before he allegedly assaulted the woman and a 49-year-old man The group then restrained the man when he tried to flee before officers from the Eastern Beaches Police Area Command arrived to arrest him The young woman allegedly had facial injuries from the incident but did not need to go to hospital while the 49-year-old man suffered multiple head injuries The good samaritan was treated by NSW Ambulance paramedics before being taken to the Prince of Wales Hospital in a stable condition The alleged attacker was also sent to the same hospital before police charged him and took him to Maroubra police station He was charged with entering a vehicle without consent of owner/occupier and using an offensive weapon with intent to commit indictable offence The alleged intruder was refused bail to appear at Waverley Local Court on Friday The Culturally Nourishing Schooling (CNS) project aims to champion Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander cultural inclusion and genuine long-term engagement in First Nations communities across New South Wales The project, led by UNSW Scientia Indigenous Fellow Associate Professor Kevin Lowe has been implemented in 8 schools in urban, rural and remote settings across NSW. The CNS method came out of a review of research literature (Guenther 2019) into what was working in Indigenous education Lowe and his co-researchers found that they were able to identify that schools experiencing success in engaging Aboriginal students in their community had many attributes in common including the fact that they had positive relationships with the students’ families and communities and an ability to tap into the broader aspirations of that community Julia Dimitriadis teaches English and Aboriginal Studies at Matraville Sports High School and of the 400 students enrolled 40% are from an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander background The cohort of 5 teachers who participated in CNS from Matraville Sports High School last year were all in their first year at the school They represented a range of different faculties They met several times each term to participate in scaffolded professional learning that involved working with local cultural mentors learning from Country immersion experiences professional learning conversations and reading and pedagogical coaching toward Culturally Nourishing Pedagogies The CNS project focusses on strengthening teachers’ leadership skills and the development of deeper relationships with local communities Dimitriadis says that she didn’t know much about the local community when she first started but understood that as an Aboriginal Studies teacher it was imperative that she began establishing connections in the community ‘In order to authentically teach Aboriginal studies and Aboriginal perspectives I think that you need to have that community focus and bring things back to community,’ she tells Teacher ‘Coming into an environment where I had no community connections the project has really helped me make those connections a lot easier giving me opportunities to be in a room with cultural mentors who can give me feedback and whose advice I can seek.’ Dimitriadis says she has had to lean on the support of her colleague and cultural mentor so she's been in the community for such a long time so as a visitor into the community I’ve had to use some of her community links Rather than go out on my own and make those connections myself Shallon knows which people in the community to direct me to,’ Dimitriadis adds ‘Shallon is one of the main people involved in the Gujaga Foundation’s language revitalisation I was able to take my class out on Country to visit Gujaga to learn about language revitalisation and it's something that is very specific to Dharawal Country but it's also something that I would not have been able to facilitate on my own,’ she says The CNS project aims to support teachers to feel more confident to incorporate Indigenous knowledges and cultures in the classroom ‘The Culturally Nourishing Schooling program has helped me massively with my own confidence in lots of different ways,’ Dimitriadis says ‘CNS has helped my confidence by reminding me that Aboriginal perspectives are not just about teaching Aboriginal history it's not just about teaching about culture It’s about the pedagogical things like building relationships and trying to expand your relationships with community Some teachers may not even pursue the work because they don't have that support system around them,’ she adds Dimitriadis says that CNS has also taught her that there are so many things that work well in Aboriginal education that have nothing to do with Aboriginal culture going through those community consultation protocols are all things that we can all do without feeling like we need to be an expert on Aboriginal culture or on Dharawal Country or Dharawal language,’ she says her cohort’s involvement in CNS has helped them to better understand students’ sense of identity and this has in turn impacted student engagement in school and their future aspirations in a positive way ‘I've noticed with myself and a lot of my colleagues that the program has given us a lot of confidence to teach about Aboriginal cultures and to teach about Aboriginal knowledges Kids are then getting to go to their PDHPE classes and learn about Aboriginal excellence or go to science and learn about the ecosystem of the Buriburi Dimitriadis says that by embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander perspectives into her teaching she’s also showing students that as a non-Aboriginal educator Guenther, J., Harrison, N., & Burgess, C. (2019). Aboriginal voices: Systematic reviews of indigenous education. The Australian Educational Researcher, 46, 207-211. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13384-019-00316-4 Consider your own confidence in embedding Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander knowledges and cultures in your classroom Is this an area that you need more support in Where would you get the professional learning you need to build on this confidence In what ways do you celebrate students’ individual cultures and identities in your classroom In what ways does this impact their engagement at school and future aspirations Our weekly newsletter with the latest articles We carefully select offers of interest from our partners Facebook Twitter YouTube SoundCloud Apple Podcasts Spotify RSS feed Linkedin ©2025 Australian Council for Educational Research — ACER