The Fountain

NAPLAN 2024

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy 2024 (NAPLAN) commenced in Australian schools in 2008.  Each year, students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in common national tests which assess:

  • Reading
  • Writing
  • Language conventions (spelling, grammar and punctuation)
  • Numeracy

The scheduled dates for the tests in 2024 are from Wednesday 13 March until Friday 22 March. Years 3 and 5 will complete testing between recess and lunch. Years 7 and 9 will complete testing at the start of the day. Catch-up sessions will be planned for afternoons and Monday 25 March if needed.

 

NAPLAN is being completed online, except for Year 3 writing which will remain as a paper-based test. Students will participate in practice tests to familiarise them with the testing platform prior to the testing commencing.

The benefits of participating in NAPLAN testing:

  • NAPLAN tests the skills that are essential for every child to progress through school and life such as reading, writing, spelling, grammar, punctuation and numeracy.
  • NAPLAN results provide valuable information on how your child is progressing against national minimum standards of literacy and numeracy skills expected for each year level.
  • The NAPLAN tests provide you as parents with an individual report that shows your child’s results and a comparison of your child’s results against all other Australian students in the year level.
  • Teachers use the NAPLAN results to determine your child’s areas of strengths and where future focus is required and how best to provide support or extension activities.
  • Teachers use the online NAPLAN toolkit to analyse your child’s results.  The toolkit provides detailed information with links to teaching strategies.
  • Principals, senior staff and others use NAPLAN results to inform school planning and to allocate resources and support including informing decisions around targeted programs and initiatives for individuals and groups. 

How can I prepare my child for the testing?

The best way you can assist your child is by helping them to feel comfortable about the nature and purpose of the tests and assure them that the tests will give them an opportunity to show what they have learnt in class.

You can also:

  • Avoid booking any appointments for your child/ren on the testing days
  • Make sure they get plenty of sleep leading up and during the testing period
  • Make sure they have a good breakfast on testing days
  • Ensure they come to school with a fully charged computer/iPad and headphones.

For more information about the national tests, please visit the national NAPLAN website or contact St Mary's College NAPLAN Testing Coordinator, Michelle Baker on mbaker@smc.tas.edu.au.