Revealed: Logan’s top 15 most improved schools in NAPLAN

THIS elite school south of Brisbane underwent a controversial major shake up after poor NAPLAN results, but the gamble paid off, propelling the college to top of the ranks. Here’s what they did.

John Paul College’s NAPLAN results have received a shot in the arm after a major curriculum shake up earlier this year.

AFTER a major curriculum “shake up” earlier this year, John Paul College has emerged from this year’s NAPLAN results on top.

Results released last week by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment show that the Daisy Hill school has increased its total year 7 and 9 scores by 4.5 per cent from 2016 to 2018.

The school topped the Logan region for Year 7 reading, writing and numeracy.

TOP PERFORMING QUEENSLAND SCHOOLS FOR NAPLAN

Principal of John Paul College Karen Spiller, centre, put the boost down to routine programs at the school.

Earlier this year, The Courier Mail reported that the school underwent a major shake-up, axing arts subjects in a bid to redirect the traditionally holistic school back to the “three Rs” – writing, reading and arithmetic.

Principal Karen Spiller said the shift had paid off.

LOGAN’S TOP PERFORMING SCHOOLS

“The College has set about an academic strengthening programme this year and I am delighted (it)... has resulted in a significant improvement in the outcomes for each of the year levels,” she said.

“One of my first priorities this year was to introduce new researched approaches to the teaching of literacy and numeracy, and our staff have taken the lead in these which has seen a turnaround in student performance in NAPLAN.”

Ms Spiller also put the strong results down to a new daily writing routine.

“Every day 10 minutes before a break we got the students to free write,” she said.

“We introduced it in February and at the start the students really struggled ...but after two months they were writing a lot more fluently.”

Schools across Logan have markedly improved their NAPLAN results.

More than 60 per cent of Logan high schools have bettered their NAPLAN results over the past three years.

The second most improved school in Logan was Jimboomba’s Hills International College that recorded a 3.2 per cent increase over the past three years.

Loganlea State High School took out third spot with a 2.75 per cent increase since 2016.

The school promotes a love of reading through its Street Library and numeracy through the Yumi Deadly Maths Program.

Loganlea State High School students have markedly improved their NAPLAN results over the past three years. Picture: Richard Walker

Principal Belinda Tregea said the results were not because they were teaching to the test.

“We don’t really focus on NAPLAN results per se but on the skills our students need to be successful in their high school subjects and in life after school,” Ms Tregea said.

“We don’t drill our students or teach to the test nor do we do repetitive NAPLAN practice.

“We ensure students are engaged in their learning and confident in their literacy and numeracy skills.”