NAPLAN 2022: Principals of best-improved primary schools reveal their secrets for success

They are the giant slayers of primary education — the little state and private schools which beat the big names in the 2022 NAPLAN test results. Two principals reveal their secrets.

Eagle Junction principal Adam Mathewson with students.

A handful of little Brisbane primary schools have surged past well-known education powerhouses to make it into the top NAPLAN rankings for the first time.

Eagle Junction State School was 10th best in Queensland in the 2022 NAPLAN results for Year 5, the first time it has cracked the top 10.

It was third best in the Brisbane North area — beaten only by highly-regarded Rainworth State School and Brisbane Grammar School.

St Finbarr’s Catholic Primary School in Ashgrove, with only 153 students, was fifth best in Brisbane North for Year 5, ahead of perennial high achievers Clayfield College and also Indooroopilly, Ironside and Ashgrove state schools.

It was 13th best in Queensland.

Wishart State School on the southside was 11th best and Sunnybank Hills State School edged out Rainworth to take the top spot in Queensland.

Eagle Junction principal Adam Mathewson with students. Picture: EJSS

Eagle Junction State School principal Adam Mathewson said the community of 938 students and also their parents were the key to the school’s strong results.

Mr Mathewson was formerly a principal at Rainworth State School, consistently in the top-three NAPLAN performers in Queensland.

He said improving on EJSS’ already-strong results was difficult, but a focus on “visible learning’’ had paid off over the past seven years.

“It motivates the children to be active participants in not only their own learning, but their classmates’ learning as well,’’ he said.

“Teachers also clearly outline what the goals of each lesson are and what each student has to do by the end of the lesson.’’

A key strategy was the school’s “bump it up’’ walls, which included outstanding work from past students.

Children were encouraged to go up to the wall and see what was missing in their efforts and what they needed to do to lift their work.

“This is the first year we have made it into the top 10, but NAPLAN is only one of the pieces of data we look at,’’ Mr Mathewson said.

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“Our goal is to develop children who will do well at primary school and continue that into secondary school and even tertiary level.’’

New St Finbarr’s principal Catherine Connors said she had been at the school for only five weeks but its secrets to success were obvious.

“With fresh eyes you can see what is working and at St Finbarr’s it’s an amazing pedagogy (teaching methods),’’ she said.

St Finbarr's students celebrate their stellar performance in NAPLAN. Picture: St Finbarr’s

“NAPLAN is just one way to showcase what the students have learned — it’s really more about teaching the Australian curriculum thoroughly.

“But the teaching team uses NAPLAN data very well to identify students to stretch, or go over areas that need attention.

“They also ensure our learners are confident and comfortable with the skills and strategies they will come across in NAPLAN.’’

Ms Connors said digital skills were important now that NAPLAN testing was done online.

St Finbarr’s students used devices as tools for learning from Prep, so by the time they were old enough to sit NAPLAN tests they were confident answering questions online and using tools such as digital rulers.