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Most improved NAPLAN schools in western Sydney

The most improved schools in NAPLAN in western Sydney have been revealed. See how your child’s school performed here.

The Lakes Christian College at Castlereagh was the most improved western Sydney school for NAPLAN results in Year 9. Pictured, Head of high school Priya Joseph with student Taila Ward. Picture: Angelo Velardo
The Lakes Christian College at Castlereagh was the most improved western Sydney school for NAPLAN results in Year 9. Pictured, Head of high school Priya Joseph with student Taila Ward. Picture: Angelo Velardo

The western Sydney schools that have achieved the most improved results in NAPLAN in the last five years have been revealed.

An analysis of five years’ worth of NAPLAN results has shown the schools that have improved their Year 5 and Year 9 student scores the most between 2014 and 2018.

The figures, which were independently compiled from the Federal Government’s MySchool website, compared each school’s combined results for each NAPLAN subject in 2014 to the same results in 2018.

For Year 9 results, The Lakes Christian College in Castlereagh demonstrated the biggest improved in western Sydney. Data shows average results at the school increased by 6.4 per cent in five years.

The western Sydney region’s second biggest Year 9 improvement was at Mountains Christian College in Blackheath. Between 2014 and 2018, results improved 5.8 per cent.

Average results at Auburn Girls High School in Auburn increased by 5.3 per cent, the third highest increase in western Sydney.

The Lakes Christian College principal Kevin Bell credited the school’s improvement to a focus on the three Rs – reading, writing and arithmetic.

The Lakes Christian College students Samiah Donoghue and Aliyah Pale Eli with principal Kevin Bell. Picture: Angelo Velardo
The Lakes Christian College students Samiah Donoghue and Aliyah Pale Eli with principal Kevin Bell. Picture: Angelo Velardo

Mr Bell said the college had noticed a significant jump in student results since the introduction of a special literacy program, known as THRASS, in recent years.

“Literacy is 101. If you develop literacy skills in the junior years, that affects numeracy, because you have to be able to read well to understand numeracy,” Mr Bell said.

“If you can read well, this transfers into other areas such as STEM.

“To get the three Rs working, you have to have successful methods for teaching kids and we’ve found that with THRASS, which has caused the kids to jump sometimes two or three levels.”

Mr Bell said the college focused on developing the fundamentals in the early years of schooling, well before the Year NAPLAN tests.

“The key to our results is that we started the THRASS program about five years ago and we run it from our preps right through to our Year 6,” he said.

“The secret is having this program uniformly applied right throughout the grades and we’re getting great results from that.”

Emerton Public School achieved the most improved NAPLAN results for Year 5 students over the past five years. Picture: Google
Emerton Public School achieved the most improved NAPLAN results for Year 5 students over the past five years. Picture: Google

For Year 5 results, the western Sydney school that improved their results the most was Emerton Public School in Emerton, where the average results across all subjects improved by 12.9 per cent.

Western Sydney’s second biggest improvement in Year 5 results over five years was Hawkesbury Independent School in Kurrajong, where scores increased 12.7 per cent.

The third biggest Year 5 improver was Arcadia Public School in Arcadia where results increased 12.3 per cent over the same five-year period.

Western Sydney’s top 10 Year 5 NAPLAN improvers over five years

Emerton Public School: 12.9 per cent

Hawkesbury independent School: 12.7 per cent

Arcadia Public School: 12.3 per cent

Ebenezer Public School: 11.1 per cent

St Clair Public School: 10.4 per cent

Granville East Public School: 9.9 per cent

Ebenezer Christian College: 9.6 per cent

Doonside Public School: 9.3 per cent

Windsor Public School: 9.1 per cent

Warrimoo Public School: 8.9 per cent

Western Sydney’s top 10 Year 9 NAPLAN improvers over five years

The Lakes Christian College: 6.4 per cent

Mountains Christian College: 5.8 per cent

Auburn Girls High School: 5.3 per cent

Hawkesbury High School: 4.9 per cent

Chifley College Mount Druitt Campus: 4.6 per cent

Quakers Hill High School: 4.5 per cent

Holroyd High School: 4.4 per cent

Chifley College Shalvey Campus: 4.3 per cent

Greystanes High School: 4.1 per cent

Pendle Hill High School: 4.0 per cent

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Original URL: https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/education/schools-hub/most-improved-naplan-schools-in-western-sydney/news-story/bc6222ebd50ed4e0802b578fe8765b86