NAPLAN 2022 results: How South Australian schools fared with annual literacy, numeracy tests
The performance of SA schools in national literacy and numeracy testing has been revealed. See the rankings for 2022 and search the map to find the best performing schools near you.
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Several regional public schools with small enrolments have beaten high-fee charging Adelaide private schools in the latest NAPLAN results.
Wudinna Area School achieved higher year 9 literacy and numeracy results in 2022 than Pulteney Grammar School and Westminster School while tiny Owen Primary School with 52 pupils, north of Adelaide, was ranked fifth in the state for year 5.
This was ahead of Walford Anglican School for Girls, Pembroke School, Saint Ignatius’ College and St Peter’s College.
In other positive results for public education, Glenunga International High School was the state’s highest performing secondary school while one of its main feeders, Linden Park Primary School, was the best primary school.
The top-ranking private school across year 5 and year 9 was St Peter’s Girls’ School while St Andrew’s School at Walkerville was the best performing independent primary school.
The public release of the results for every South Australian school – available online at advertiser.com.au – comes as experts gather in the Barossa Valley for an inaugural national summit on student wellbeing hosted by the Education Department.
Those attending include National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds, Australian Research Alliance for Children and Youth (ARACY) chief executive Penny Dakin and Thrive by Five director, former SA premier Jay Weatherill.
Education Department chief executive Martin Westwell said it was internationally recognised that improving wellbeing for students at their schools provided better educational and life outcomes.
“We know for example, that a sense of belonging and connectedness to school can make an enormous difference to young people,” he said.
“It improves their engagement with their learning, helping to higher levels of academic achievement and protecting against depression and anxiety later in life.”
Professor Westwell said recent violence in South Australian publicly broadcast on social media was indicative of poor student wellbeing.
Almost two dozen students were suspended last week from Underdale High School after an orchestrated fight between two students was filmed on mobile ban, despite a statewide ban in public schools.
“We’ve not done that before and it’s come as a surprise to some parents and students,” he said.
“But we don’t want the suspension of students to be the driver of cultural change in our schools, we want it to be about wellbeing.”
Professor Westwell said undesirable behaviour in students was often a symptom of disengagement from school and other students – and an underlying lack of wellbeing.
“We know that continuing to do the same things is not the pathway forward so addressing wellbeing in a different way is key to supporting our students,” he said.
The principal of Ardrossan Area School – one of the state’s highest achieving public R-12 schools – said relationships between schools, students, parents and their communities were vital.
Raised and educated at nearby Arthurton, Margaret Roads has been at the school for 32 years, having joined it as a 22-year-old graduate teacher in the late 1980s.
The 57-year-old said relationships were “key” to delivering quality education – and improving student wellbeing.
“It’s all about the relationships with students, their families and the local community,” she said.
“No place is ever perfect but with those relationships you can work together to solve any problems or issues.”
Ms Roads said the importance of strong relationships was impressed on new staff.
“When they join, they are told that relationships and communication are key,” she said.
Ms Roads said her staff formed strong bonds with their students, who ranged in age from five to 18 – with many of them completing their entire education at the school.
Included in her current 145 students were the children of former pupils.
“Because we are small, we know each of our students very well. We know their data,” she said.
“It underpins the high impact teaching strategies we develop for them.
“We use our knowledge to work alongside our students and their families for the best outcomes.”
Ms Roads said along with looking after student wellbeing, providing a good school environment was important to successful learning.
“I have got a beautiful school, it has beautiful green spaces, a huge oval, nature play,” she said.
“We have chickens, we have a garden, we’ve got aquaponics.”
Ms Roads said she was very proud of what her school was achieving.
“I am so proud to be the principal,” she said.
“We have great kids, we have great staff, we part of a fantastic community.”
HELPING STUDENTS BUILD THEIR FUTURES
New St Andrew’s School principal Luke Ritchie believes latest technology must be embraced to support traditional learning techniques.”
Mr Ritchie said the efforts made by the school to merge contemporary learning with the basics of literacy and numeracy were reflected in the NAPLAN results for 2022.
The R-6 Anglican primary school at Walkerville had the state’s fourth highest year 5 average. Mr Ritchie said the school operated with small classes, with experienced teaching staff. “It’s really important that schools leverage off their strengths and play to their strengths to build quality learning around rigorous assessment,” he said.
Mr Ritchie, the father of four children under 10, said the junior International Baccalaureatte program offered at St Andrew’s was a key feature of its educational offering.
“It’s a wonderful framework to explore,” he said. “Learning and developing skills is equally important to applying those skills in meaningful ways so students can make a contribution now and just not in the future.”
Mr Ritchie said he had embarked on a recruitment drive since joining St Andrew’s last month after six years as principal of Annesley Junior School.
“We have a new deputy principal who is an expert in data-based education, a new head of personalised learning, a new business director and have just appointed a risk and compliance director,” he said.
“It’s about a significant investment in having the right people to ensure the continued growth and development of St Andrew’s.”
Mr Ritchie replaced former principal Jackie Becher, who resigned last year.
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