The Aurukun campus (the school) of the Cape York Aboriginal Australian Academy (CYAAA) is the hub of the Aurukun community. The teachers and staff of the school are dedicated and motivated by a collective desire to ensure the children of Aurukun become successful learners. Collectively, all stakeholders must work together to address the challenges facing the community and to support the school to move forward.

The school was temporarily closed in May 2016 in response to significant concerns raised by staff, including the school leaders, about the safety of school personnel. On a number of occasions school staff were at risk of physical harm, which was reflective of broader law and order issues in the community. The Queensland Government is working across agencies and with the community to address these issues.

In response to the temporary closure, a review of the school was undertaken in June 2016. The review was conducted to assist the Department of Education and Training (DET), CYAAA and the community to identify the school improvement strategies required to meet the unique needs of the Aurukun community, and to address concerns about declines in student attendance and staff morale. The review used the National School Improvement Tool (NSIT) , which examines the school’s improvement agenda by considering its processes for data analysis, teaching and learning practices, curriculum, and community engagement in the specific context of the Aurukun community. This is similar to reviews undertaken across Queensland state schools.