By Callum Ludwig
With the start of the school year in the very near future, local schools are preparing for the return of the students and hoping to help them thrive in 2024.
Wandin North Primary School is as excited as any other school, brimming with pride following a stellar showing in NAPLAN in 2023.
Wandin North Primary School Principal Paul Bailey said he is incredibly proud of the students and their outstanding NAPLAN results.
“To be recognized as being in the Top 5 schools in the Outer East area of Victoria is outstanding. Our students aim high each and every day and it is great recognition and a celebration for the whole school community,” he said.
“Our Year 3 and 5 students were very strong across all areas of NAPLAN, resulting in the percentage of students achieving the Exceeding and Strong proficiency, outperforming State percentages. In Year 3 our key areas were Writing, Spelling and Numeracy and in Year 5 they were Reading, Writing and Numeracy.”
NAPLAN grading went through a significant change in 2023, with students being judged against four proficiency standard levels rather than the previous system of 10 numerical bands and national minimum standards.
Mr Bailey said at Wandin North PS they have whole school approaches, which he believes is the first step to achieving success.
“We ensure that we are catering to the whole child by forming strong relationships, fostering a growth mindset and providing a safe and secure learning environment where our students feel comfortable to take risks without the fear of making a mistake,” he said.
“We promote collaboration in our classrooms and students have a clear understanding of what their next steps are in the learning through co-constructed learning goals.”
The new proficiency standard levels are; ‘Exceeding, Strong, Developing and Needs additional support in an effort to better and clearly identify where individual students are at with their schooling for both teachers, parents and students.
Mr Bailey said students of all academic abilities will face challenges in their learning, empowering students to have a growth mindset and equipping them with a toolkit of strategies is important.
“When it comes to pressure situations like NAPLAN where students are having to retrieve key information under timed conditions, it’s the positive mindset and reassurance from the classroom teacher in the day-to-day work, that promotes success,” he said.
This year’s NAPLAN testing will take place for Grade 3 and 5 and Years 7 and 9 students between 3 March and 25 March.
Mr Bailey said the Department of Education’s F.I.S.O. 2.0 (Framework for Improving Student Outcomes) has wellbeing and learning at its centre.
“If children are not feeling comfortable due to school or home factors, they will not perform at their best. Forming a relationship, having a strong connection between home and school, and acknowledging success helps to foster the wellbeing of children,” he said.
“To support the academic side of learning, it is crucial to have a clear understanding of the impact of teaching. Strong data literacy at a classroom, cohort and school level will facilitate this,”
“If students are sitting within the known for too long or the content delivered is not at their level, engagement levels will drop. A stimulating learning environment promotes engagement and a classroom where all students can experience success and achieve growth.”
