The North Queensland Toyota Cowboys Try for 5! primary school attendance program has returned an exemplary Semester 1 report card.
Across the first two terms of 2025, the program delivered improved average attendance figures across almost all participating North Queensland schools.
Particularly impressive results included Bloomfield River State School which has increased attendance by 9.1%, Western Cape College Mapoon Campus by 10.21%, Western Cape College Weipa Campus by 4.5%, while Townview State School in Mount Isa’s figures improved by 3.58%.
Cowboys Community Engagement Officer Tahlulah Tillet said the outstanding results for remote schools demonstrated the influence the initiative had in encouraging positive attitudes towards school.
“Every time we visit a school it’s clear from the students’ excitement and engagement that we’re making a difference through the Try for 5! program, but these figures really confirm that,” she said.
“While some schools still sit below state or regional targets, the upward trends demonstrate that sustained engagement, targeted strategies and community-based support are making a tangible impact.
“It’s hugely encouraging to see the schools and communities embracing and championing the Try for 5! message as well through their own additional activities at their schools.”
Try for 5! is delivered by the Cowboys with the support of Regional Express Airlines, National Indigenous Australians Agency and Youth Development Partnership Fund, with some schools, including Doomadgee State School and St Keiran’s Catholic School in Mount Isa self-funding the program.
The initiative delivered 36 school visits across the 18 schools last Semester, leveraging the strong Cowboys brand and player profiles and a unique incentive program to drive up school attendance rates, foster positive behaviour and a supportive learning environment, improve academic outcomes, and build strong, connected school communities.
The MVP student initiative, a component of the program, provides additional one-on-one support to selected students and continues to also produce excellent results, not only for the individual student but often for their siblings and other family members. In Semester 1, 88% of MVP Students improved their attendance. Some key individual results included:
- - Improvement from 45% to 90%
- Improvement from 52% to 86%, with engagement and confidence also growing
- Improvement from 79% to 90%. The student’s siblings also improved, and their mother commenced volunteering at the school during this time
- Improvement from 75% to 84%. The student’s mother commented positively on the improvement in the daughters’ attitude towards school as she begun getting ready for school independently each morning and assisting her younger siblings with getting ready for school.
Cowboys Community Foundation CEO Fiona Pelling said statistics show there is a long way to go in closing the education gap, particularly for remote Indigenous students.
“We know students with positive early learning habits, who are engaged and supported to attend school throughout their learning journeys are more likely to experience better employment, health and social outcomes into adulthood,” she said.
“Schools are doing some wonderful things, but if the children aren’t in the classroom they can’t benefit, so Try for 5! is all about recognising them when they do come to school and keeping them coming back and engaged five days a week.”
