English and Literacy

This month, students in Year 7 and 9 will be undertaking the NAPLAN (National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy).

NAPLAN is an annual assessment that tests the types of skills that are important for every child to progress through school and life. The literacy tests cover skills in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation. These assessments provide parents and teachers with an understanding of how individual students are performing at the time of the tests, and it allows us to develop curriculum tailored to our students' learning needs. At John Fawkner College, we are committed to using a range of data to inform our practice and make decisions about what and how we teach students, and the NAPLAN is an important tool that allows us to do this. 

In English classes, we have been preparing students to take the NAPLAN by showing them examples of how the test will look, giving them opportunities to practice answering questions and providing them with the experience of 'test conditions' so that they are aware of how they must behave on the day.

NAPLAN is not a test that can be studied for and students are not expected to do so. You can support your child by reassuring them that NAPLAN is just one aspect of their schooling program, and all they need to do on the day is simply their best. Many students often feel nervous about undertaking a test such as NAPLAN, however it is important to remember that teachers look at these results to determine whether a student has demonstrated growth since the previous test, and we support all students to learn and achieve regardless of where they are in their learning journey.

Should you have any questions about NAPLAN or your student's participating in the assessment, please do not hesitate to contact the school and we will be happy to assist you in any way.

Ashleigh Hudson

Head of English