In Barbreck we continue to achieve high academic standards. Our most recent NAPLAN results demonstrate an exceptional level of achievement across all subjects, particularly in reading where our average score for Year 3 was well beyond the expected level across the nation.

Our academic programs in Barbreck are rigorous. Our classrooms are filled with curiosity, deep thinking, discerning inquiry, and relational discovery. However, our thinking culture is only one ingredient in our recipe for student success. In Barbreck, the emotional wellbeing of our students is considered of equal importance.

In 2003, renowned educational expert, Professor John Hattie from the University of Melbourne identified five key influences on academic success: the student, their home, their school, their peers, and their teachers. Yet, many students who are bright, attend a great school, have encouraging parents and expert teachers still do not achieve at the level they are capable of, leaving many parents, teachers, and schools to ponder ‘is there a secret recipe to academic success?’

Current research supports another key factor of influence – that of social and emotional development and the role of schools. In 2022, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute (MCRI) released a report on The Indirect Impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic on young people and Adolescence. The Report “highlighted the importance of schools beyond academic learning, where the social, emotional, and physical health of children and young people can also be supported.”

In Barbreck we know girls who are happy, feel safe and are connected to their peers and teachers will naturally reach and extend their academic goals. Our academic programs are built from a foundation of care. Our Academic Care Model ensures every girl is taught in a safe and encouraging environment. Our personalised approach to learning ensures every girl is supported, extended, and understood – providing her with the best opportunity to succeed and progress well.

Our exceptional levels of achievement in NAPLAN in Years 3 and 5 over the past four years, can be as John Hattie states, attributed to the expertise of our Barbreck teachers, our focus on student learning and academic and pastoral care, and the safe and encouraging climate we create at Barbreck.

Our personalised approach to each girl’s learning and the way in which we differentiate to ensure the needs of all girls, from those needing support to those requiring extension, are all catered for. Through this deliberate recipe of personalised teaching blended with academic care, our Barbreck girls are well-equipped to harness their innate capabilities and excel in their chosen pathways.

This article features in St Catherine’s News Autumn Edition. To read the full Edition click here.