Deputy News 

National Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (NAPLAN) at Sacred Heart

Each year, students in Years 3 and 5 participate in a National Literacy and Numeracy assessment (NAPLAN). This provides a valuable opportunity to monitor student progress and ensure they are developing essential skills in reading, writing, and numeracy. As students move through school, regular assessments help track their learning. This nationwide assessment complements ongoing classroom evaluations, offering parents and teachers additional insights into student progress against national proficiency standards.

The tests are conducted online, making them more engaging and providing precise results. They use an adaptive format, adjusting question difficulty based on students’ responses to better measure individual abilities. Year 3 students, however, will continue to complete the writing assessment on paper. Tailored testing allows a wide range of student abilities to be assessed and measures student achievement more precisely. A student’s overall NAPLAN result is based on both the number and complexity of questions they answer correctly. Your child should not be concerned if they find questions challenging; they may be taking a more complex test pathway. 

There is no need for students to study specifically for these assessments. Teachers will ensure students are familiar with the test format and provide appropriate guidance.

At Sacred Heart, we understand that students' learning shapes their well-being, and their well-being shapes their learning. As parents you can support their child by reinforcing that this is a routine part of school and encouraging them to simply do their best. To support their well-being we encourage you to:

• Ensure good sleep and nutrition – A well-rested brain performs better.
• Keep a calm routine – Avoid last-minute cramming; keep mornings relaxed.
• Reassure them – Let them know NAPLAN is not a pass-or-fail test but a way to understand their learning progress.  

We will begin our NAPLAN next week, following the schedule below. Each test will take approximately 40–50 minutes, and we have allocated a two-hour window to ensure sufficient time for completion. Testing times will remain consistent for both Year 3 and Year 5 students. If there are any children who are absent for a test, we have a small window that we are able to make up this testing time. 

Kate Stroud 

Deputy Principal