GC schools outstrip national NAPLAN results

IT’S never easy when it comes to keeping pace with the rest of the state and the nation — but the latest results comparing Gold Coast schools with the rest of the country might leave you surprised.

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GOLD Coast students rate higher than both the state and national averages in the latest NAPLAN results.

A Bulletin analysis of the 2018 NAPLAN data shows Gold Coast schools are ahead of the Queensland and Australian average in all subjects, which include reading, writing, spelling grammar and numeracy.

Somerset College took out the top spots for both primary and high school NAPLAN results on the Gold Coast. Somerset students, Lillian Swainson, Chloe Ming, Ruby Mackintosh (front), Jamison Webber. For story on NAPLAN results. Picture: Jerad Williams

On average, the city’s high school students retained a score at least 3 per cent higher than the average Queensland student, and at least 1.5 per cent better than the national average.

Our high school students stood out in writing, up 3.8 per cent on the rest of the state.

Overall, Year 3 students on the Gold Coast rated 3.5 per cent higher than the national average.

Across most areas Gold Coast schools have improved more on their 2015 results than the rest of the state.

TOP NAPLAN SCHOOLS ON THE GOLD COAST

Professor Beryl Exley, from Griffith University’s School of Education and Professional Studies, said the population boom of the Gold Coast was constantly changing the education landscape.

“The Gold Coast has as much of a demographic diversity as any other pockets of big populations,” she said.

“It has got both an exciting and challenging demographic.

“It is however definitely home to a lot more transience and new entrants and we can see that through the population boom.

Photo at St Francis Xavier Primary School. Photo of year 5 students having some fun. Photo by Richard Gosling

HOW ARE GOLD COAST SCHOOLS IMPROVING AT NAPLAN?

Prof Exley, also the national president of the Australian Literacy Educators Association, said the challenge was that NAPLAN did not interfere with learning.

“Where schools results are comfortable and have achieved NAPLAN standards they tend to spend more time with curriculum while others focus on the test.

“In an article published in a national journal, one teacher indicated they had stopped teaching English curriculum in 20 weeks leading up to NAPLAN.

At schools like Coombabah State Primary School, the hard work of teachers and a focus on broader curriculum-based learning has paid off.

The northern Gold Coast school this year secured a mean 6.1 per cent improvement on its 2015 results.

“We have a really dedicated team of teachers who have taken on the challenge increasing expectations of what students are able to do, that starts with reading,” principal Murray Gleadhill said.

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“We have developed a whole school reading strategy and have invested a lot of our money into providing extra teacher aid support to teach reading.

“I believe reading has a lot to do with our result, when kids are confident with reading it opens up a world of opportunity for them.”

Proud of the improvement Mr Gleadhill said a single test had never been the focus of the school.

“Education is really about the whole child. If they aren't comfortable with themselves they aren't confident, resilient and can’t move from challenge to other challenge.

“It is a challenging profession, but it is very rewarding when you see the different results when can get from kids.”