In this article we discuss the findings from a narrative literature review inquiring into factors influencing outcomes in Indigenous Australian schools and communities. We asked, “What does (not) work and why?” in a range of Indigenous and other low-socioeconomic contexts for improving educational outcomes for children from birth to school leaving age, inside and outside schools. We present our findings as a set of interrelated premises that hold unprecedented possibilities for empowering Indigenous families and communities to work with schools in positively reshaping children's futures.