From Brad Downie

Students and staff have returned to Term 3 refreshed and ready to learn, with a busy term ahead as our senior VCE students set their sights on their final assessments and we continue to embed the Science of Learning pedagogies of the Magnify Sandhurst Programs across the school.

NAPLAN

This week has seen the release of the 2025 NAPLAN results. Students across Victoria have achieved well in this year’s tests, with Victorian students achieving the highest average scores across 18 categories of the test, up from topping 11 categories in 2024. These improvements have been attributed to the impact of pedagogies that align with the Science of Learning. These results clearly point to the effectiveness of the approaches that are a part of the Magnify Sandhurst Program. As we continue to embed and develop our classroom practices across the next few years, I am sure that many families will see the positive impact of these programs.

Students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 will have brought home their NAPLAN reports this week and students and parents will have been able to reflect upon the improvements that students have made and areas that are continuing to develop.

While these results offer a valuable snapshot of your child’s skills in reading, writing, language conventions and numeracy at a particular point in time, we encourage all families to view them as part of a broader picture. NAPLAN is not designed to assess every aspect of your child’s learning or potential. It is important that these results are not interpreted in isolation, but rather considered alongside classroom-based assessments, student work samples, teacher judgements and other academic achievements.

At St Augustine’s College, we take a holistic approach to evaluating student progress. The NAPLAN data will be used in conjunction with a range of formative and summative assessments to inform teaching practice, support individual learning needs and guide curriculum planning. Our teaching staff will continue to monitor each student’s development throughout the year to ensure their growth and success is supported in all areas of their education.

We also remind families that NAPLAN is just one measure of a student’s learning and does not capture qualities such as creativity, resilience, collaboration and emotional growth - attributes we deeply value and nurture in every student.

ICAS Tests

In the coming weeks, we have a number of students who will take on the challenge of the ICAS tests. The tests are an online academic competition that gives students the opportunity to challenge their higher order thinking and problem-solving skills.

ICAS results are in-depth and meaningful and ICAS evaluates student performance against other competition entrants across the state and nation. The data reveals student strengths and weaknesses and can help you recognise and support your child's academic journey.

The College will be conducting the tests, with participating students undertaking one or more of English, mathematics, science, writing, spelling bee and digital technologies.

Well done to those students who accepted the challenge of striving for their best in the ICAS tests; you are exemplifying the positive attitudes we encourage all students to demonstrate every day, with growth through the learning opportunities our College offers.

Brad Downie

Deputy Principal 

Student Learning and Professional Practice