Al Noori, Christ the King lead the way for south west Sydney schools in NAPLAN results
Al Noori Muslim School, Greenacre, and Christ the King Primary School, Bass Hill, are among top performing schools at the 2018 NAPLAN tests in NSW.
AL Noori Muslim School, Greenacre, and Christ the King Primary School, Bass Hill, are among top performing schools at the 2018 NAPLAN tests in NSW and Canterbury Bankstown area.
Al Noori Muslim School (Years 7 and 9) and Christ the King Primary (Years 3 and 5) have plenty to celebrate after achieving “above” or “substantially above” similar schools in at least three subject areas in the National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy results.
They were among the many schools in south west Sydney which performed higher across multiple subjects compared to schools nationally.
Lee Scola, the delighted principal of Christ the King Primary School, said the results are a result of comprehensive work across the students and staff over the past few years.
There are 200 students in the school with 86 per cent of them coming from non-English speaking backgrounds.
“Like our motto says, we are blasting off our learning,” Mrs Scola said.
“We are very excited for our students as we have high expectations for them
“We have been gradually rising up the NAPLAN since 2015 and we have put in a lot of work across the whole school.
“Our students set learning goals each term with their parents and teachers.
“We do a lot of data across the student, class and the whole school and we have a very big focus on English and mathematics.
“There has also been a lot of professional learning for the teachers both internally and externally.”
The Daily Telegraph looked at the NAPLAN results of more than 650 schools across western Sydney and found students at 122 primary schools achieved results “above” or “substantially above” other schools with similar students in at least three subjects.
TOP PERFORMING LOCAL SCHOOLS IN YEAR 3:
Christ the King School, Yagoona;
Al Noori Muslim School, Greenace;
Greenacre Baptist Christian Community School;
Georges River Grammar School;
Condell Park Christian School;
Sacred Heart School, Villawood;
St Brendan Catholic Primary School, Bankstown;
St Luke’s School, Revesby.
TOP PERFORMING LOCAL SCHOOLS IN YEAR 7:
Al Noori Muslim School, Greenacre;
Sefton High School;
Condell Park Christian School;
Georges Rivers Grammar School, Georges Hall;
Mount Saint Joseph, Milperra;
De La Salle College, Revesby Heights;
Greenacre Baptist Christian Community School;
East Hills Girls Technology High School, Panania;
St Charbel’s College, Punchbowl;
St Euphemia’s College, Bankstown.
HIGH GAINS IN READING
Meanwhile, Lakemba’s Holy Spirit Catholic College, which has just 14 students being native English speakers, has made high gains in reading.
Principal Phillip Scollard said his school’s significant improvement is thanks to their focus on reading in “every single subject”, early intervention programs and the belief of the student’s families that education is a “golden ticket” to a good life.
“Part of the role for every teacher no matter what they teach is we’re actually also teaching formal academic English to these students,” he said.
The school was one of 60 NSW schools acknowledged by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority for achieving significantly above average gains.
Students who were in Year 7 in 2016 improved their reading scores on average by 61 points when they were retested in Year 9 last year.
The school has 65 recently arrived Syrian refugees enrolled.
EARLY ACTION FOR SUCCESS PROGRAM PRAISED
NSW Primary Principals Association president Phil Seymour credited the education department’s Early Action for Success program for the strong results in Western and southwest Sydney.
“It has been a phenomenal resource that schools have tapped into with instructional leaders supporting classroom teachers,” he said.
Mr Seymour said the use of equity funding through the Gonski model had also boosted schools in need of extra support.
“The only way is up absolutely,” he said. “These additional resources, smaller class sizes, all there to get best out of our kids and if the Gonski funds flow through after the federal election I think that will be an enormous boost for all schools.”
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TEACHERS DESERVE CREDIT
Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue, Executive Director, Adam Leto said the results are further proof of Western Sydney’s emergence as one of the nation’s smart cities.
According to published NAPLAN results, 37 schools from Western and south west Sydney achieved above or substantially above similar schools in at least three subject areas in both Years 3 and 5.
Another 24 schools in Western Sydney achieved above or substantially above other schools in at least three subject areas in Years 7 and 9 in the test.
Mr Leto said Western Sydney’s teachers deserved plenty of credit for their role in helping students to reach their potential, while also underlining the quality of the region’s public education system.
“You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on private schools to receive an excellent education, as these schools and their students have demonstrated,” Mr Leto said.
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