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Ascot Park Primary performs well in 2019 NAPLAN results

Ascot Park Primary’s hard work to improve its academic results is paying dividends, with the school among the best in the west for its Year 7 NAPLAN results. See the full list of local schools.

Ascot Park Primary School deputy principal Sam Kennedy with students Tasharah, Charlotte and Lachlan. Picture: Supplied
Ascot Park Primary School deputy principal Sam Kennedy with students Tasharah, Charlotte and Lachlan. Picture: Supplied

In recent years, Ascot Park Primary School has worked hard to improve its academic results.

And going by the latest National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) outcomes, the hard work is paying off for the more than 200 students at the Park Holme school.

In 2019, the school recorded one of the best Year 7 results in the national literacy and numeracy test in the western region, and continued to secure good results in Years 3 and 5.

Deputy principal Sam Kennedy said the Pildappa Ave school had focused its efforts on improving its literacy results, and had used technology and challenges to help make learning to read fun.

“We have whole-school agreements and regular staff professional development around the learning that should be happening in all classes and this has translated to improved student results,” said Mr Kennedy, who has been at the school for the past eight years.

Ascot Park Primary School students Tasharah, Charlotte and Lachlan. Picture: Supplied
Ascot Park Primary School students Tasharah, Charlotte and Lachlan. Picture: Supplied

“Staff have been really motivated in how to get students reading and we have seen a big improvement in our younger students being able to develop phonic skills quickly and for our older students, being able to ask and answer deeper questions about texts.”

He said intervention programs were available to support students who were struggling, which had been successful in “closing gaps and improving our overall results”.

NAPLAN is an annual test for students in years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy, held in May.

It was cancelled this year because of COVID-19.

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Mr Kennedy said the school – which had grown its enrolments from 126 in 2017 to 207 this year – had been working to ensure there was consistency in learning across all year levels.

“We wanted to make sure the focus was on what was happening in prior years, before they reached Year 7,” Mr Kennedy said.

“Over the last three years, our results have had a steady rise but we are continuing to work hard to push students into higher levels.”

The school is also a specialist PE and sport school.

Julie Hibell has been its principal since 2017.

The data in the searchable table below represents the average of the five tests undertaken in NAPLAN – the higher the number, the higher the student the level – for schools in the western suburbs.

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Original URL: https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/messenger/west-beaches/ascot-park-primary-performs-well-in-2019-naplan-results/news-story/00b666ad0e1e2bd15c1fabe3128101be