Victoria’s all-girls schools dominate Year 9 NAPLAN results
Girls’ schools have claimed half of Victoria’s top 20 private school NAPLAN spots, outperforming boys’ schools in four of five test domains.
All-girls schools have dominated Victoria’s top NAPLAN results, making up half of the state’s 20 highest-achieving private schools.
A Herald Sun analysis of the state’s year 9 NAPLAN data, revealed girls’ schools outperformed boys’ schools in four of the five test domains.
Recording an average combined score of 610.24, girls’ schools excelled in reading, spelling, writing, and grammar.
Writing scores had the widest gap with girls’ schools averaging 631 compared to boys’ schools at 606.7.
Boys’ schools achieved a 630.35 average in numeracy compared to girls’ 610.56 and recorded a combined average of 605.47.
Selective entry Mac. Robertson Girls’, was the highest-achieving girls’ school, with an average score of 706.6, making them the second ranked school overall.
Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC), Fintona Girls’ School and Camberwell Girls’ Grammar rounded out the top five private schools alongside co-eds Ballarat Clarendon and Haileybury, with averages of more than 661.
Genazzano FCJ College and Sacre Coeur lead Catholic girls schools, and Canterbury Girls Secondary College was among the top 20 state schools.
PLC said their exceptional results were the outcome of “deliberate, sustained and evidence-based practice”.
“This success reflects a long-established, whole-school commitment to explicit teaching, strong foundations in literacy and numeracy, a highly skilled teaching staff who know their students and teach with precision and the ever-important partnership between school and our families who deeply value education,” PLC head of junior school Melissa Voce said.
“These results reaffirm what PLC has been known for over many decades: consistent excellence built on purposeful practice.”
Fintona Girls’ School attributed their success to a strong foundational curriculum rather than targeted test preparation.
“NAPLAN is not an assessment that we specifically prepare our students for,” Fintona’s Head of Pedagogy and Curriculum James Sach said.
“We put our strong and consistent results down to a rigorous curriculum that helps to establish key learning skills and knowledge. We are proud of our consistent excellence in this space.
“We deem it important to pay close attention to the growth and development of our students, rather than simply the level of achievement in NAPLAN.”
Selective entry boys’ school Melbourne High, was the highest achieving in the state with an average of 717.8.
Melbourne High School principal Tony Mordini said he was “proud” of students’ efforts and acknowledged the role of other schools in “nurturing” their high achieving cohort.
“I’m very encouraged by what’s coming forward. If that’s the talent that’s in year 9, it’s going to be amazing as we continue to nurture that,” Mr Mordini said.
“We’re a proud public school. We’re part of a network of public schools that take some of our best and brightest and try to nurture them.
“I think now the challenge, which we take full heartedly, is to take this amazing group of young people and keep working and developing them.
“We take them in year nine so we must obviously thank the primary schools that they’ve gone to and the other secondary schools … we need to acknowledge the nurturing that has come from other schools.
“We’re in a privileged position.”
Camberwell Grammar, Melbourne Grammar, and Scotch College were also among the highest achieving boys’ private schools, with averages of more than 638.
Mazenod College, St Kevin’s, and Xavier College topped Victorian boys’ Catholic schools.
More Coverage
Originally published as Victoria’s all-girls schools dominate Year 9 NAPLAN results
