NAPLAN Results – Good News for Barbreck Girls

While news across Australia has been focusing on the nation’s sliding NAPLAN results, the news at Barbreck is exceedingly good.  

Education Ministers around Australia agreed to change the way in which NAPLAN results are reported from 2023. The numerical NAPLAN Bands (previously 10 Bands) and the National Minimum Standard were replaced with the following four levels of achievement:  

• Exceeding: results exceed expectations at the time of testing 
• Strong: results meet challenging but reasonable expectations at the time of testing 
• Developing: results indicate the student is working towards expectations at the time of testing 
• Needs Additional Support: results indicate the student is not achieving the learning outcomes expected at the time of testing and are likely to need help to progress. 

Australian students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 participated in NAPLAN in March. Individual results, with state averages, were released in August. 

Across all the states and territories, Victoria had the highest results in the nation. When comparing our School to the Victorian state results, our Barbreck girls are well positioned to continue out-performing the rest of the country. 

Using the combined averages for the ‘Exceeding’ and ‘Strong’ levels of achievement, the following results clearly show the advantages a St Catherine’s education provides. 

In Year 3, the average for combined ‘Exceeding’ and ‘Strong’ levels for Barbreck was 92.85% while the state’s combined average was 68.12%. 

Year 5 results are even stronger, with the average in the combined ‘Exceeding’ and ‘Strong levels of 96.78% compared to the State’s average in these bands being 72.34%. 

There are a number of reasons why St Catherine’s girls consistently achieve well in these national assessments.  

Our teachers are experts in their fields and dedicated to the girls in their class. At St Catherine’s we attract and retain exemplary staff. 

Our students are supported. Our internal assessment program monitors each girl’s learning progress and identifies any gaps in learning quickly. We address these gaps, seeking support and guidance where necessary from our Learning Plus Department. We determine the instructional levels for each girl and have developed enrichment and extension programs to cater to girls performing above expected levels at Barbreck. 

Our academic programs build lifelong learning. Our approach to teaching, using the ‘I do, We do and You do’ model of teaching, explicitly teaches small chunks of learning, making them easier to learn and move to long term memory. It also builds confidence in our students, teaching them at a pace that best suits their individual needs. 

Our learning environment is nurturing. The learning environment we create at Barbreck encourages girls to focus on their learning and is stress free.  

Through our approach to learning our young girls achieve well and move through their educational journeys with a love of learning and confidence in themselves.  

Parent-Teacher Meetings

Yesterday’s Parent-Teacher Meetings ran smoothly online. I hope all parents were able to gain a good sense of how their daughter is progressing through her school year so far. 

Please note that if you felt you needed more time with a teacher, or would like to discuss any concerns, you can request a meeting with any of our Barbreck teachers through Barbreck Reception by calling 9822 1285 or via email at Barbreck@stcatherines.net.au  

Father’s Day Wishes

I would like to take this opportunity to wish all our Barbreck fathers and important male role models in our Barbreck girls’ lives a wonderful Father’s Day. I hope your Sunday is filled with family, love, laughter, and cheer.