Principal Update

Message from the Principal

This week our school community successfully supported the delivery of NAPLAN. The process was well organised by staff and students approached the testing period in a calm and focused manner. Balmoral continues to maintain a balanced perspective on NAPLAN. While it provides a point in time snapshot of student learning, our focus remains on using the insights to refine how we scaffold literacy and numeracy within the Australian Curriculum. I am also pleased to share that Balmoral was not impacted by the technical outages that occurred in a number of schools during the testing window.

As we continue to synthesise our work around teaching for engagement and improved learning, our staff are also placing a strong focus on reading across the curriculum. In a secondary school context, this includes supporting students to engage confidently with the different text types and language structures that exist across subject areas. Each discipline uses its own technical vocabulary and language conventions. The ability for students to read, interpret and apply this vocabulary accurately is essential for demonstrating understanding and achieving success in assessment.

Across subjects such as Science, Humanities, Mathematics and English, teachers are intentionally supporting students to build their academic vocabulary. This includes modelling how key terms are used within explanations, analysing how subject specific language shapes meaning, and guiding students to incorporate precise terminology when writing responses or constructing arguments. Developing this confidence with technical vocabulary strengthens reading comprehension, supports analytical thinking and improves the clarity of students’ written and spoken communication.

Reading therefore remains a priority for our school improvement work. We are continuing to familiarise ourselves with best practice approaches that strengthen reading fluency, comprehension and vocabulary development. These approaches help students move beyond simply recognising words to understanding complex ideas, interpreting evidence and communicating their learning with precision.

As we move further into the term, our collective focus remains on supporting students to engage deeply with their learning, build strong literacy foundations across all subjects and develop the language skills needed to demonstrate their understanding of the Australian Curriculum.

Regards,

Timothy Barraud

Principal