NAPLAN results for Wagga primary schools: most improved revealed

An analysis of NAPLAN results over the past four years has revealed the city’s most and least improved schools. See the full list and how your school ranks.

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Wagga’s public primary schools have given their private school counterparts a run for their money in the most improved NAPLAN results during the past four years, it has been revealed.

An analysis of NAPLAN data, which were independently compiled from the Federal Government’s MySchool website, compared each school’s combined total yearly NAPLAN results for years 3 and 5 in 2016 to the same results in 2019.

The improvement percentage is based on the increase or decrease in a school’s total NAPLAN score over the four-year period.

Public schools that showed more than a one per cent increase were Forest Hill (5.6pc), Red Hill (4.2pc) and Mount Austin (1.01pc) while Henschke Primary School was the only private school in the same category with a 3.12pc improvement.

To put the above into context, schools in the Wagga LGA improved by an average of -0.58pc in the period.

Forest Hill’s biggest improvement was in reading, which jumped by 92 points in the four years, followed by spelling (71 points), numeracy (38 points), writing (30 points) then grammar (22 points).

Henschke’s co-principal Paul Jenkins said successful initiatives they have implemented have included one-to-one devices from year 3-6 so students are familiar with the online platform.

“There is also a targeted mathematics program, explicit early literacy teaching, a focus on open questions, differentiated teaching practices targeting individual students needs and problem-solving where children are just not worried about a direct answer to a question but can provide open-ended solutions,” Mr Jenkins said.

Similarly, co-principal Kym Willis said they did not teach to the NAPLAN test.

“We teach to improve each child's learning from where they are at with a goal of obtaining at a minimum one year's growth each year,” Ms Willis said.

Forest Hill Public School was the most improved in 2016-19 in Wagga with a 5.6pc jump in its average total yearly score. Picture: Supplied

The most improved for year 3 was Red Hill with an improvement of 5.85pc followed by Henschke with 5.52pc, Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges with 5.21pc and South Wagga with 4.21pc.

As for year 5, the most improved was Red Hill again with 2.72pc followed by Mount Ausin with 1.83pc, Wagga Public with 1.71pc then Forest Hill with 1.21pc.

While public schools are leading in the most improved, private ones still sit atop the table in best performing.

Lutheran School remains the strongest in the period based on the average total yearly NAPLAN results.

It sits atop with an average result of 2468.25 followed by Saint Mary MacKillop Colleges with 2454.75, Wagga Christian College with 2379.37 then St Joseph’s Primary with 2335.37.

Only three of the 12 public schools — Wagga Public, Sturt Public and South Wagga — averaged higher than the lowest of the eight private schools, Holy Trinity West.

Rankings for the best performing schools were established by combining every school’s results across the five different NAPLAN subjects and calculating the yearly average score.

Lutheran is also at the top for the combined averages across all test areas in 2016-19.

Principal Peter Weier said he believed the positive emotional, social, behavioural and academic outcomes have been because of the overall nurture and pastoral care the school provides.

“These contribute to students feeling safe, happy and content — this in turn leads to good outcomes,” Mr Weier said.

Lutheran School sits atop the table as the best performing in 2016-19 in NAPLAN testing in Wagga. Picture: Supplied

“We don’t teach to, or for, NAPLAN. Our focus is to provide quality teaching and learning experiences so our children can grow in what they know and can do (people with knowledge and skills), together with who they can become (people with values).

“We know that by doing these things well, NAPLAN and other indicators will look after themselves.”

Mr Weier said some examples of initiatives that have contributed to the school’s strengths include regular and targeted quality professional development provided to staff, such as the early literacy project in 2018, and high-quality reading intervention programs informed by school data.

“We are looking at providing professional learning in numeracy for our staff in 2021 in a similar way that all teachers were involved in teaching reading in 2018,” he said.

In stark contrast to its peers, Mater Dei Primary, while ranked third in average yearly total score, secured an improvement percentage of no more than -4.8 across year 3, year 5 and combined.

Co-principal Megan Masterson said they use various data sources, including NAPLAN, to develop the school’s annual improvement plan, which currently focuses on literacy and numeracy.

“This includes the implementation of new programs, specialist staff and tailored interventions for vulnerable learners,” Ms Masterson said.

Co-principal Kayelene Gleeson said this year they are implementing a new reading tracking system and broadening their numeracy focus.

Mater Dei Primary still sits in the top half of best performing schools in Wagga in NAPLAN 2019 results. Picture: Supplied

“The professional development of our staff in data analysis is also a priority,” she said.

“Our focus is for continued improvement and identifying and supporting all learners, especially students at risk.”

A spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Wagga said that while NAPLAN data can be an important tool, there are many factors that it does not measure.

“These include student engagement, school culture, pastoral care initiatives and the facilities and programs available at each school,” the spokesperson said.

This year’s NAPLAN testing, initially scheduled for May, has been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Improvement rates (%): 2016-19

1. Forest Hill Public: 5.63
2. Red Hill Public: 4.20
3. Henschke: 3.13
4. Mount Austin Public: 1.01
5. Wagga Public: 0.88
6. Lutheran: 0.46
7. St Joseph’s: 0.04
8. Sturt Public: -0.18
9. Holy Trinity West: -0.47
10. Kooringal Public: -0.57
11. Saint Mary MacKillop College: -0.64
12. Lake Albert Public: -0.69
13. Sacred Heart: -0.79
14. South Wagga Public: -1.18
15. North Wagga Public: -1.66
16. Kapooka Public: -1.69
17. Turvey Park Public: -2.09
18. Ashmont Public: -3.39
19. Wagga Christian College: -3.60
20. Mater Dei Primary: -6.78

Performance ranking (average yearly total): 2016-19

1. Lutheran: 2468.25
2. Saint Mary MacKillop College: 2454.75
   
3. Mater Dei Primary: 2402.13
4. South Wagga Public: 2392.38
5. Wagga Christian: 2379.38
6. St Joseph’s: 2335.38
7. Wagga Public: 2332.13
8. Henschke: 2293.25
9. Sacred Heart: 2287.25
10. Lake Albert Public: 2268.75
11. Sturt Public: 2259.50
12. Holy Trinity West: 2257.25
13. Kapooka Public: 2219.13
14. Kooringal Public: 2214.88
15. North Wagga Public: 2191.00
16. Turvey Park Public: 2168.75
17. Forest Hill Public: 2156.75
18. Red Hill Public: 2085.38
19. Ashmont Public: 2029.00
20. Mount Austin Public: 1961.88