KIDS GET IT WRITE
A LITTLE school in the Tallebudgera Valley has used previous disappointment to spur an amazing turnaround in students’ NAPLAN scores.
Ingleside State School is just one of numerous Gold Coast primary schools recording encouraging upturns in student performance.
In Ingleside’s case, staff used a worrying student score in writing four years ago to refocus their energies and propel the kids to pleasing heights.
NAPLAN results are on the rise at Gold Coast primary schools.
Data released this week reveals our primary schools have seen a steady improvement year on year, while local high schools remained relatively stagnant.
The national exam – which tests students in grades 3, 5, 7 and 9 – shows Ingleside State School had the most dramatic improvement with an upswing of 15.42 per cent on its 2015 result.
The school, nestled in the Tallebudgera Valley, is home to just 109 students and 13 teaching staff.
Having scored below Australia’s average in writing last year, the school has worked hard to improve.
Principal Crichton Roberts said the ability to set goals was one of the benefits of the NAPLAN tests.
“The school now does daily writing for 10 minutes a day,” he said.
“We use a website that gives us a stimulus picture a day, and have made writing and grammar our focus.
“We also started publishing students’ writing in our newsletters.”
Mr Roberts, who has been principal since 2016, said the NAPLAN test is only a small part of the picture.
Other schools with major improvements included A B Paterson College
All Saints Anglican School
Assisi Catholic College
Benowa State High School Coombabah State High School Coomera Anglican College
Elanora State High School Emmanuel College
Gold Coast Christian College Helensvale State High School Hillcrest Christian College
Keebra Park State High School
Kings Christian College Livingstone Christian College Lutheran Ormeau Rivers District School Merrimac State High School
Miami State High School
Nerang State High School Ormeau Woods State High School Pacific Pines State High School
Palm Beach-Currumbin State High School Pimpama State Secondary College Rivermount College
Robina State High School Silkwood School
Somerset College
Southport State High School
St Andrews Lutheran College
St Hilda's School
Saint Stephen's College Tamborine Mountain College Tamborine Mountain State High School The Southport School
Trinity Lutheran College
Upper Coomera State College Varsity College
Coombabah State School with a 6.15 per cent upswing in results, Musgrave Hill State School on 7.06 per cent and Woongoolba State School on 7.16 per cent.
The highest improvement among high schools was at 604.2 590.8 563.2 572.4 532.1 582 539.4 603.4 577.7 549.1 572.1 539.8 573.8 549.2 569.1 551.9 558.9 532.4 553.4 551.9 569.9 541.6 568.9 553.9 N/A 611.3 560 574 588.8 579.2 564.2 571.7 568.3 578.8 526 546.8 601.1 599.5 569.5 569.6 530.6 583.6 548 599.4 561.4 555.9 579.6 539.6 589.2 552.2 572.2 554.9 562.5 531.3 550.9 552.6 569.3 534.7 556.7 551.2 556.3 615.9 570 581.7 596.6 583.1 567.4 565.5 579.8 579.7 514.2 572.8
the Gold Coast Christian College with 6.06 per cent.
The numbers may impress parents, but Kevan Goodworth, CEO of P&Cs Queensland, said the test is more about individual children. 596.4 597.8 553.4 568.6 531.2 581.6 543.4 597.8 559 546.7 582.4 550.1 571.9 540.5 558.9 550.4 557 531 556.7 549.6 570.5 537 561.5 544.1 566.2 611.3 560.2 568.3 591.3 573.2 563 574.1 575.3 576.3 532.8 568.5 592.9 603.2 561.1 566.1 530.3 587.6 540 607 544.7 553 581.9 518 579.9 540.8 557 550.8 559.3 533.8 554.4 545.6 561.6 541.6 563.7 550.8 559.3 617.8 564.8 587.1 590.2 589.7 568.3 568 577.2 589.8 528 573 1.91% -2.06% 0.37% 1.11% 0.34% -0.95% -0.11% -0.59% 6.06% -0.71% -1.68% 4.21% -1.05% 1.55% 2.17% 0.20% -0.07% -0.26% -0.18% 1.15% 1.48% 0.00% 0.92% 0.56% N/A -1.05% -0.85% -2.23% -0.24% -1.78% -0.72% 0.65% -1.54% -1.87% -0.38% -4.57%
“I think the most important thing is ... to help me as a parent to know where my child is and work with the school to see the improvement,” he said.
“It is silly to compare a school on NAPLAN alone.”