Schools acing the test Townsville Grammar, St Josephs make top list
TWO Townsville schools have made Queensland’s top 100 for primary and secondary education.
The list comes from the Better Education website, which publishes school ratings and ranked them based on results from NAPLAN (National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy) scores in 2018.
The lists help parents analyse information and compare different schools across the state.
Townsville Grammar was the only school to appear in both primary and secondary schools lists.
Based on Year 5 results, it’s ranked as one of the best in the state, being one of 13 primary schools to receive a perfect score of 100.
Principal Timothy Kelly said the outcomes were a result of specialist teachers and a supportive culture.
“We are very proud of our strong NAPLAN and overall academic results,” he said. “There is a very positive culture here at Townsville Grammar School where our students know they are supported in striving for personal achievement.
“In a Prep-12 environment, they learn from an early age to reflect and to set goals and, in doing so, they develop resilience and character. This supports our students in their learning path right through to Year 12 and beyond.”
The only other school to make the list is St Joseph’s Catholic School, which received a score of 97.
No Townsville state schools were ranked in the top 100 for secondary education. The majority of the top 10 spots were taken by Brisbane-based schools.
Queensland’s Education Minister Grace Grace said there needed to be a full review of NAPLAN after reports surfaced of teachers feeling pressured to tailor their teaching to the exams.
Queensland Teachers’ Union president Kevin Bates said teachers were concerned about the failure of governments to adequately fund state schools.
“Because of the work of parents, teachers and principals, our state schools are delivering a great education with outstanding outcomes for students,” he said.
“State schools do this with less per student funding than many private schools.
“Governments must do more to ensure that all schools achieve the minimum level of funding set under the Australian Education Act.”