Achieving Better & Fairer Schools: The case for full-service school models in Australia
Despite decades of reform and record investment, inequality in Australian schools persists and continues to grow. Students in high-needs communities can face multiple, compounding barriers to learning: poorer health, food insecurity, unstable housing and limited access to early and ongoing supports. This can contribute to rising absenteeism, disengagement and widening achievement gaps.
The Mitchell Institute’s new report Achieving Better and Fairer Schools: The case for full-service school models in Australia argues that traditional schools are not designed to respond to these complex needs.
A different approach is needed to address the growing inequities in student engagement, wellbeing and achievement. Our report calls for full-service school models as a purpose-built solution, designed to integrate education, health and social supports so that all children have the opportunity to thrive.
What are full-service schools?
Full-service schools integrate education, health and social supports within the school environment to address barriers to learning. They are tailored to local needs and strengths and developed in collaboration with families and community partners to ensure support reaches students where it matters most.
Every partnership and service is designed to strengthen students’ engagement and connection to learning.
Some services target student learning (mentoring, tutoring, extended academic activities, specialist clubs), others target engagement and wellbeing (parenting support and family learning, meal programs, mental health and wellbeing services).
The aim is not to take the focus from teaching and learning, but to create the conditions in which teaching and learning can flourish.
Why full-service schools are needed now
Our analysis of student engagement and learning outcomes reveals that the gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students is worsening, with evidence showing that the greatest challenges are found in schools serving communities experiencing concentrated poverty and higher levels of need.
- The learning gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students equates to more than five years of schooling by Year 9.
- In 2024, the average attendance rate of students in Australia’s most disadvantaged schools was 9.9 percentage points lower than for students in the most advantaged schools.
- Socially disadvantaged students are almost three times more likely than their advantaged peers to miss school for long periods.
- Around one in three students from low-SES backgrounds skip breakfast before school, compared with one in six from high-SES families.
Traditional school models alone cannot overcome these challenges. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (2025–2034) explicitly recognises the need for stronger connections between schools and the services that support students’ learning and wellbeing.
Full-service schools offer a clear, evidence-based way to deliver on that ambition.
Who benefits?
Full-service schools not only benefit students, they also strengthen the ecosystem around children and young people, contributing to healthier and more resilient communities.
- Students benefit academically and emotionally because barriers to learning, such as hunger, trauma, or untreated health issues, are reduced through health and wellbeing supports, so they can attend school more regularly and engage and focus more wholly on learning.
- Families receive easier access to vital community services, leading to improved engagement in their children’s education.
- Schools and teachers are supported to focus on education rather than crisis management.
- Disadvantaged communities benefit from schools that act as trusted spaces for support, connection and collaboration.
From evidence to action: A framework for delivery
What makes full-service school models effective?
Our report identifies five key features that underpin successful models:
- Dedicated coordination to support the work of teachers.
- Sustainable funding for long-term planning and growth.
- Broad impact assessment beyond academic results.
- Co-design with students, families and communities.
- Alignment across government agencies.
Making it happen nationally & locally
Australian schools already offer a range of learning, engagement and wellbeing supports to students and families, some through partnerships with community organisations.
Building on this foundation, our analysis has identified the three system-level conditionsrequired to implement and sustain full-service school models effectively across school systems.
Dedicated coordination
A full-time coordinator or small team links education with health, wellbeing and community services. They manage needs assessments, referral pathways and data-informed supports to ensure timely, culturally responsive interventions.
System-level support
State and territory departments must provide central guidance, infrastructure and partnership support. Department teams help with needs assessments, streamlined engagement and formalised cross-sector partnerships. Extra central support is crucial where local service capacity is limited.
Locally tailored services
Full-service schools must reflect local needs and existing strengths. Flexible, community-informed service mixes ensure the model works across diverse contexts – metropolitan, regional and remote – rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all approach.
A timely opportunity for reform
Full-service schools offer a practical way to translate national reform priorities into practice. The timing could not be better. The Better and Fairer Schools Agreement provides a platform for a shift toward integrated, place-based reforms that recognise that health, engagement and wellbeing supports are essential to improving conditions for learning.
Addressing educational inequality means moving reform beyond the classroom, acknowledging that broader social and health factors shape students’ capacity to learn.
Embedding much-needed supports within schools offers a promising way for governments to realise the goals of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement – ensuring that national aspirations translate into tangible outcomes for children and young Australians.
Explore the publications
Full Report: The Achieving Better and Fairer Schools: The case for full-service school models in Australia report is a comprehensive analysis of international evidence, Australia's policy context, and system design principles for effective delivery.
Policy Brief: The Achieving Better and Fairer Schools: The case for full-service school models in Australia policy brief provides a concise, accessible summary of the case for reform, key findings, and policy recommendations.
