From the Principal

Following last week’s release of the 2024 state and national NAPLAN data, there has been considerable coverage of this topic in the media. I’ve noticed that much of the discussion has centred on the concerning statistic that one in three Australian students has not yet reached the expected literacy and numeracy standards for their year level. While the array of alarming headlines might lead us to think Australia is experiencing a sudden decline in educational outcomes, it is important to note that this year’s NAPLAN results have remained stable in comparison with those achieved in 2023. Rather than indicating a new trend, they underscore the ongoing educational disparities that sadly continue to impact some student demographics, including those from non-metropolitan areas and lower socio-economic backgrounds. 

Stephen Gniel, the CEO of testing body ACARA, has advised exercising caution in drawing conclusions from this year’s results. This is because they represent only the second set of data obtained since the new proficiency standards were introduced in 2023, with trends typically taking several years to emerge. From ACARA’s perspective, the fact that NAPLAN results have remained steady despite the significant changes to the testing regime in recent years, including the new benchmarks and an earlier testing schedule, is an achievement in itself.   

Now shifting our focus to the NAPLAN results of Girton Grammar, I am delighted to share that our students have once again surpassed national and state averages across all testing areas and year levels, as illustrated in the figure below. Moreover, it was reassuring to see that our students’ average scores were higher than those recorded by students in metropolitan Victoria, highlighting that our regional setting poses no barrier to Girtonians achieving exceptional educational outcomes. We take great pride in our strong reputation in regional education, and it is truly gratifying to see this reflected in our students’ NAPLAN results.  

Of course, it is important to keep in mind that NAPLAN is just one of many tools we use to assess our students’ learning at Girton, and the results provide only a snapshot of their performance on a given day in March. However, as a national testing scheme, NAPLAN data provides valuable insights that help us evaluate our learning programs and identify areas for improvement. While our results have traditionally been very good, we are always looking for aspects on which to improve, with reading and writing identified as areas of focus in recent years. This year’s strong results in the reading domain, coupled with our students' enthusiasm during Book Week, fill me with confidence that the efforts of our staff to enhance our reading outcomes are paying dividends. Likewise, our students’ results in the writing domain provide an early indication of the success of our staged implementation of explicit instruction in writing. We look forward to seeing continued success as we advance on this journey of pedagogical development. 

When it comes to individual students, NAPLAN results can assist our teachers to identify those who might benefit from additional support or extension, and they provide parents and carers with an understanding of their child’s progress against national benchmarks. Families of students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 have now received this year’s NAPLAN reports, and I encourage you to reach out to individual teachers, Mr Don Thompson or Mr Jay Weston if you have any queries about interpreting your child’s results. I would like to extend my heartfelt congratulations to all the students who completed NAPLAN testing this year, and my gratitude to our parents, carers and staff for their support throughout the process. 

In addition to the Book Week festivities I mentioned earlier, the past fortnight has seen our school host a number of enjoyable experiences that you can read about in the following pages, including Science Week, our Ensembles Concerts, Wear It Purple Day and Imagine Day. It was a joy to welcome so many of our families – both current and future – to these important occasions in our school calendar. I would also like to extend my gratitude to all those who have already completed our 2024 Parent Satisfaction Survey. We are reviewing results as they are submitted, and are hoping to receive responses from as many parents and carers as possible before the survey closes on Friday 6 September.   

As always, your continued support of our school is deeply appreciated, and I wish you a wonderful weekend with your family. 

Dr Emma O’Rielly

Principal