Principal
Mr Gary Conwell, Principal
Preparing Ourselves
A recent mass reading drew from the Gospel of Luke:
“So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.
Sell your possessions and give to those in need. This will store up treasure for you in heaven! And the purses of heaven never get old or develop holes. Your treasure will be safe; no thief can steal it and no moth can destroy it. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be.
Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning, as though you were waiting for your master to return from the wedding feast. Then you will be ready to open the door and let him in the moment he arrives and knocks. The servants who are ready and waiting for his return will be rewarded. I tell you the truth, he himself will seat them, put on an apron, and serve them as they sit and eat! He may come in the middle of the night or just before dawn. But whenever he comes, he will reward the servants who are ready.
In Christian terms, we prepare for Jesus by readying ourselves for his coming or what Christians call his advent. Advent, the season leading up to Christmas, prepares Christians by reminding us of key themes and events leading up to the birth of Christ. A practical takeaway from Luke 12 is that whether we are working or studying, we must do our part to prepare for it. The message of Luke 12 is about preparedness as much as it is about anything else. We have a responsibility to our fellow humans to bring the best of ourselves to each day, and to do this effectively, we must invest time and effort in our self-development. To quote an old coach of mine, ‘you need to bring your A game” wasn’t far off “Be dressed for service and keep your lamps burning”. At the same time, we apply the grace we need to help each other become the best versions of ourselves.
NAPLAN 2025 Highlights
As part of our commitment to continuous improvement and excellence in learning, I am pleased to share key insights from our 2025 NAPLAN results. These outcomes reflect the strategic direction outlined in our School Action Improvement Plan (SAIP) and the collective efforts of our staff and students.
While Year 7 results are available, they have been intentionally excluded from this summary. The Year 7 cohort completed NAPLAN testing within weeks of commencing secondary schooling, meaning their performance reflects prior learning experiences rather than the influence of St Stephen’s Catholic College. From a statistical standpoint, attributing outcomes to SSCC at this early stage would introduce bias and compromise the validity of growth-based analysis. Nevertheless, Year 7 data remains relevant for informing future teaching and learning strategies and will be closely monitored as these students progress.
Academic Growth and Achievement
Our Year 9 cohort has demonstrated strong growth in their NAPLAN scores, particularly in Writing and Grammar & Punctuation. These improvements align with our SAIP’s emphasis on explicit teaching practices in literacy and numeracy.
- Writing: Effect size of 0.61, outperforming the national average of 0.45.
- Grammar & Punctuation: Effect size of 0.37, well above the national benchmark of 0.23.
- Numeracy: While slightly below national effect size at 0.34, proficiency levels remain strong, with a clear shift from “Needs Additional Support” to “Developing” and “Strong”.
Effect sizes are a statistical measure used to quantify the impact of a teaching strategy or intervention. In NAPLAN reporting, effect sizes help schools interpret student progress over time and compare it to national benchmarks. An effect size of approximately 0.2 is considered the average annual growth for students as they progress from year 7 to year 9.
These results signal the early impact of our professional learning focus on student outcomes, particularly through the use of the Gradual Release of Responsibility Model of Instruction in Mathematics and Writing instruction, the integration of the Writer’s Toolbox online platform, and the coaching and support provided to teachers. I also commend Ambre Paolacci and Emma Ledlin on their very focused approach to writing together with all our teachers and learning staff in Mathematics and in all departments.
Proficiency Distribution – Year 9
Trends in Proficiency
- Significant gains in writing, with several students improving by over 150 points in scaled scores.
- Numeracy growth was consistent, with students demonstrating strong conceptual development.
- Reading showed slight regression among high-performing students, often linked to engagement factors.
Teacher Efficacy and Pedagogical Impact
The success of our students is a direct reflection of the skill, dedication, and professionalism of our teaching staff. The implementation of explicit teaching strategies, particularly in writing and numeracy, has been central to our improvement agenda. Our teachers have engaged deeply with coaching, collaborative planning, and data analysis to refine their practice and support student growth. Further, our students have generally engaged with the NAPLAN test format and given it their best shot.
Looking Ahead: Australian Catholic Education Conference
Next week, the Australian Catholic Education Conference (ACEC) will take place in Cairns. We are proud that some of our students and staff will be attending Mass and participating in the choir and music. Special congratulations to Summer Richardson, who will represent St Stephen’s on a student panel moderated by Bishop Joe Caddy.
Bibliography
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). NAPLAN national results. Retrieved from https://www.acara.edu.au/reporting/national-report-on-schooling-in-australia/naplan-national-results
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority. (n.d.). Proficiency level descriptions. Retrieved from https://www.nap.edu.au/naplan/results-and-reports/proficiency-level-descriptions
Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. (n.d.). NAPLAN test reporting — Using the results. Retrieved from https://www.qcaa.qld.edu.au/downloads/p_10/naplan_test_reporting_using_results.pdf
Regards
Gary Conwell