Ky L enjoys being healthy. The Year 3 student likes to play basketball and handball, and really enjoys cooking – which he does during periodic cooking sessions at his school’s after-hours homework centre.

“Sometimes we even get to cook ham and cheese pastries and cupcakes,” Ky said.

Every week Ky, his brother Jordan, and other Aboriginal students at Wyoming Public School, near Gosford, come together for two hours of learning and cultural awareness activities at the school’s indigenous homework centre.

Run every Wednesday, after school hours, the centre gives attending Aboriginal students in Year 3 to 6 access to two teachers and an Aboriginal in-class tutor.

During the first hour, students focus on homework and developing their numeracy and literacy skills. The second hour is devoted to culturally themed activities such as Aboriginal artwork.

The students are provided with fruit during the afternoon and have regular breaks to play games like handball.

Assistant principal Sharon Shearman said by attending the centre students get the extra support they need to complete homework. She said parents are also happy to know their children are receiving expert academic support.

“It also gives the students the opportunity as a group to learn about their culture together,” Mrs Shearman said.

Ky and Jordan, who have been at the school since their family moved to the area at the start of last year, said the centre had made it easier for them to make friends.

Year 3 student Aaron H said he enjoyed the centre because the “teachers help [him] to learn” and improve his “spelling and times tables”.

Wyoming Public’s principal John Barwick said the homework centre, which has been running for the past three years, has helped the school address the gap in education among Aboriginal students.

“Our Basic Skills Test results last year for the Year 5 students, who have been in this program for a while, were really good,” Mr Barwick said.

“Eighty per cent of [Aboriginal students] were in the top three bands in numeracy, which is above the state average. In literacy we had 60 per cent in the top three bands.”

Mr Barwick said as a result of the after-hours centre’s success and popularity, the school is exploring how to widen the service to non-Aboriginal students.

Mrs Shearman said establishing a native garden at the school might also be a project for the homework centre’s Aboriginal students this year.