Insight (1995)

Holroyd High (2015x8)

: 31, 2015

"He came on a boat, he's had all this terrible stuff happen to him. How did I not know this?" – Chantelle Six out of 10 students at Holroyd High are from a refugee background. Around a third of pupils have been in Australia for less than three years. Some have never been to school before arriving at Holroyd. Some arrive at school with a traumatic history. Most speak little or no English. The hurdles to academic achievement are significant. Yet last year 54 per cent of year 12 students at Holroyd High received first round university offers. The national average is 30 per cent. For many students this modest high school in Western Sydney provides a fresh start in a new country. For others, who've come from the local area, Holroyd High offers them a second chance and with a surprising new direction. In this episode of Insight the students and teachers from Holroyd High share their stories of resilience, their aspirations and their triumphs. How does a school like Holroyd prepare these kids for a new life in Australia?