Revealed: Most improved NAPLAN schools in Toowoomba

The biggest NAPLAN improvers for schools in the Toowoomba region have been revealed along with the schools which have gone backwards.

The education sector has faced several challenges in the past 12 months, but for the most improved NAPLAN schools in Toowoomba believe these are the secrets to overcoming those obstacles.

Harlaxton State School in Harlaxton recorded the biggest improvement for a primary school with the average Year 5 NAPLAN results increasing by 13.44 per cent over the past five years of NAPLAN.

Grantham State School at Grantham was the second best with an increase of 11.92 per cent followed by Darling Downs Christian School at Toowoomba with an increase of 9.27 per cent.

Harlaxton State School principal Maxine Lester.

Harlaxton State School principal Maxine Lester thanked students, staff and families for their contributions to the results, as well as embracing the school motto ‘making connections, creating opportunities’.

“Our school community is culturally diverse with refugee students as well as First Nation

students, which has fostered an innovative and thoughtful approach to the delivery of

curriculum,” she said.

“Over the past seven years as principal, our school’s Explicit Improvement Agenda in reading,

comprehension skills and spelling for life, combined with the help of my amazing staff has

been able to grow us into a strong learning culture with embedded differentiation.

“Learning and improving is now the focus of all we do here and I would like to praise my

teachers, teacher aides and the whole school community for their tireless work with our

intensive small group learning approach.”

Meanwhile, Pittsworth State High School in Pittsworth recorded the biggest improvement for a secondary school with average Year 9 NAPLAN results increasing by 5.55 per cent over the past five years of NAPLAN.

Mary MacKillop Catholic College at Highfields was the second best with a 4.28 per cent increase followed by Toowoomba Anglican School at Toowoomba with an increase of 3.97 per cent.

Pittsworth State High School principal Dan Lindenmayer said despite the challenge of Covid-19 in recent times, teachers, students and parents had maintained a commitment to teaching and learning.

“I am incredibly proud of the team of passionate and dedicated teachers at Pittsworth State

High School who work incredibly hard to provide the best possible education for our students,” he said.

“We are very fortunate to be part of a community where families value state education highly

and support the school and their students in every way possible.

“Our improved results are a testament to our school’s vibrant and progressive learning

community … our vision is shaping futures; the futures of young people are the future of our

society.”

The analysis compared the five year change in NAPLAN results from 2017 and 2021 and revealed the schools which have improved their Year 5 and Year 9 student scores the most.

It was calculated by each school’s combined results for each NAPLAN subject in 2017 and compared to the same results in 2021.

Meanwhile, Darling Heights State School in Darling Heights recorded the lowest improvement for a primary school with the average Year 5 NAPLAN results returning a result of -8.19 per cent over the past five years of NAPLAN.

While, Toowoomba Christian College in Highfields recorded the lowest improvement for a secondary school returning a result of -3.38 per cent over the past five years.

A Department of Education spokeswoman said the Queensland Government was committed to ensuring all students participated in NAPLAN testing which is one way to monitor and track student process.

“Our teachers work with students every day to assess, diagnose and support

student learning,” the spokeswoman said.

“Participation in NAPLAN does provide the opportunity to benchmark against other jurisdictions and results also show the areas we need to develop and improve, and where

we need to direct resources and target support.”