Larrakeyah Primary School is up against London and Chicago schools for the title of World’s Best

Is your child attending one of the world’s best schools? This Territory school is in the running for a global title for its commitment to education.

A Darwin school is in the running to be named one of the world’s best in a prestigious global awards.

Larrakeyah Primary School is a top-three finalist in the Supporting Healthy Lives category for the World’s Best School Prizes.

Larrakeyah Primary is the only Australian school to be short-listed in the top three of all categories.

It is facing fierce competition against a school in London and one in Chicago.

Larrakeyah Primary is in the shortlist for its QUEST program, which allows students to explore areas of interest through projects in real-world contexts.

Principal Fathma Mauger was thrilled for the school’s recognition.

She said QUEST enabled students to develop 21st century learning skills and inform them of future education pathways.

“We want them to be confident about the future. We want them to be learners that are proactive and collaborate, who learn to communicate and are creative,” Ms Mauger said.

Local local businesses and industry professionals are brought into the classroom to share knowledge and skills with students.

Larrakeyah Primary is one of the NT’s most prestigious. Principal Fathma Mauger, students Elijah Terrell and Jasmine Banfield and deputy principal Natasha Guse in 2021 after the school was named a finalist in the Cambridge International School Awards. Picture: Glenn Campbell

Fields of inquiry include architecture, photography, aquaculture and more. Students create projects based around their area of interest and put them on display at their school’s expo.

“When they come out of it, they have a better understanding and skills of that particular project or career.,” Ms Mauger said.

“They’re more confident talking about it and having knowledge they didn’t have before.

“These are the learners we want for our future. There’s a feeling of real excitement when we talk to the kids and hear about their learning journeys.”

Larrakeyah Primary can win $US50,000 ($75,828), which Ms Mauger said would go towards expanding the QUEST program beyond years five and six and attract more professionals to get involved.

The school has a long list of accolades, including being accredited as the NT’s first and only Cambridge International School.

“It’s just amazing to have kids work with industry professionals, learning in an innovative way,” she said.

The school will highlight QUEST during World Education Week in October. Ms Mauger said it was an excellent program for more schools to adopt.

“Any student in any school would get a lot out of doing something like QUEST,” she said.

Larrakeyah Primary and finalists across all five categories will now be entered into a public vote. People have until October 2 to tell judges who should win each prize at worldsbestschool.org/

Larrakeyah Primary is considered one of the best and most sought-after schools in the Territory.

In 2016, it became the first NT government school to be accredited as a Cambridge International School.

In 2022, Larrakeyah was a finalist in the International School Awards. It ran up against Malaysia’s Alice Smith School and the eventual winner, Dulwich College Beijing in China for the Pathways to Continued and University Education Award.