: VISION : PURPOSE : RATIONALE :
: MESSAGE FROM OUR GENERAL MANAGER :

The Rivers Cluster (originally named the Katherine Cluster), was established in 1999 along with six others in the Northern Territory. It incorporates 11 schools - six located in Katherine township (Casuarina Street Primary, Clyde Fenton Primary, Katherine South Primary, MacFarlane Primary, Katherine High School, and the School of the Air), and five in remote centres from the West Australian border to the Gulf of Carpentaria (Barunga, Kalkaringi, Lajamanu, Ngukurr and the Katherine Group School - which is made up of 12 smaller remote schools).

: Vision :
All Rivers schools demonstrate educational and management excellence by working collaboratively and through interaction and cooperation between NT DEET, schools and Principal colleagues.

: Purpose :
To work in partnership with NT DEET and other Clusters to meet the objectives of NT DEET and to represent and advance the interests of the Rivers' Cluster community.

Please explore our website, or go to the individual school snapshots using the right hand navigation bar.

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: Rationale :
The cluster arrangement is a consultation model deisgned to ensure active and positive relationships between and among schools and all sectors of the Department of Employment, Education and Training (NT DEET). The model enables principals to actively contribute to education at a policy/advice level beyond their own school.

Clusters are based on a geographical grouping of schools in order to provide localised support and cross sector fertilisation.

The introduction of a cluster model has provided a formal capacity for increased collegiality. Through the portfolio arrangement, principals have an opportunity to gain recognition for their knowledge, skills and experience, to influence deparmental priorities and directions and to increase their understandings of the department as a whole.

Within clear and explicit parameters, clusters maximise opportunities for establishing local education priorities. Principals have the opportunity to be creative and to take high levels of local initiative in developing programs that best meet the needs of the students and teachers within their cluster. The detail is worked out locally, within clusters and at the school level. A budget is provided to assist with the cluster operation and with professional development.

An electronic newsletter, Cluster Capers, is the means by which the schools directors communicate with all pricipals. The newsletter is produced eight times a year and provides opportunities for clusters, divisions, and branches to report on their activity.

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: Message from our General Manager :
Message from John Dove to go in here.

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