Principal's Message

Dear Parents and Carers, 

Earlier this year, our year 3, 5, 7 and 9 students completed the NAPLAN tests. While this test is not the summation of their learning in all areas, it gives us important diagnostic information to support each individual student in their learning in literacy and numeracy. We continue to utilise these assessments, as well as Allwell testing in years 3, 6, 8 and 10 and ongoing formative assessments in kindergarten to year 12 to ensure that each student continues to grow and achieve. 

We are proud to share the wonderful achievements of our students in the 2025 NAPLAN assessments. Across the school, we’ve seen strong growth in many areas, with results above NSW State averages in several domains, and real success stories from Year 3 through to Year 9.

These results are a reflection of the hard work of our students, the dedication of our staff, and the support of our families.  They also show that the strategies we’ve implemented over the past two years are making a real difference in student learning.

Highlights from Each Stage

📚 Year 3

• Spelling was our strongest domain, with many students in the top two bands.
• Reading and Writing were strong, with 90+ students in the top two bands for reading and writing.

📖 Year 5

• Achieved above NSW and Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese (CSPD) averages in every domain.
• Spelling, Reading, and Writing all saw over 80% of students in the top two bands.
• Teachers have been extending our capable readers with increasingly complex texts and tailoring maths workshops for both extension and support.

✏️ Year 7

• Our strongest achieving year group, performing above both NSW and CSPD averages across the board.
• Spelling (82%), Reading (81%), and Writing (80%) had the highest proportion of students in the top two bands.
• Numeracy showed the largest group of students in the ‘Strong’ band, with ongoing focus on lifting more into the ‘Exceeding’ range.

📈 Year 9

• Reading (82%), Spelling (86%), and Writing (82%) continue to be our standout areas.
• Writing had the highest percentage of students in the ‘Exceeding’ band.
• Positive growth in Reading, Writing, and Numeracy from Year 7 to Year 9.

What’s Behind the Growth?

Over 2023 and 2024, we introduced a number of evidence-based programs and teaching approaches to lift Literacy and Numeracy outcomes:

• Targeted interventions in reading and mathematics for students needing extra support.
• Focused phonics programs in Kindergarten and Stage 1 to build strong foundations.
• Explicit teaching of key skills across K-12, ensuring clarity and confidence in learning.
• Mathematics extension and support opportunities, with a focus on deep place value understanding.
• Alignment with best-practice research, with all programs reviewed and updated.

This year, we are building on that success with:

• Enhanced phonics instruction in Kindergarten.
• More diversity support staff and trained teacher assistants delivering in-class interventions.
• A dedicated Instructional Leader for Kindergarten and Stage 1.
• Improved student progress tracking and parent-friendly reporting.
• Parent learning events to equip families to support learning at home.
• Research-based literacy and numeracy blocks.
• Increased access to quality books for families.
• A focus on understanding domain based writing in years 5-12 with a huge amount of growth in teacher and student understanding at this level. 
• Clear learning intentions and success criteria so students know exactly what they are learning, why, and what success looks like.
• Consistent use of explicit teaching and modelling across subjects
• Targeted differentiation with small-group extension, enrichment, and support to meet the needs of all learners.
• High clarity of expectations using rubrics, annotated exemplars, and visible learning goals.
• Ongoing feedback loops informed by regular formative assessment to adjust teaching in real time.
• Cross-curricular literacy and numeracy focus to build core skills across all key learning areas.

We are excited to continue this journey, working together to ensure every student at St Luke’s is supported and challenged to achieve their personal best. Thank you for being such an important part of our learning community.