I am very pleased to share with our school community the outstanding performance our students have demonstrated in the 2013 NAPLAN testing for Year 3, 5 and 7. The tests were conducted in May and provide a school mean score in the 5 areas of Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Punctuation and Numeracy. Over the last five years we have seen a very positive improvement especially within our Year 3 data. This year we are significantly above the Queensland mean, and at the National mean in all areas, except Year 3 spelling.
A main focus for our school has been to lift the percentage of students performing in the upper two bands. This year Talara Primary College has a higher percentage of students performing in the top two bands than the National average, in all areas but two. We have also achieved a higher percentage of students meeting the National Minimum Standard in all areas but two, compared to the Nation. In reading, our focus for the last two years, Talara has the following percentage of students meeting this benchmark!
in year 3 - 97%
in Year 5 - 99%
in Year 7 – 100%
These results are a terrific accomplishment. The continual high standard of expectation and commitment to improvement by all teachers, students and the wider school community is a real credit to Talara and this is how achieving such outstanding results becomes possible.
Individual student reports for all students in Year 3, 5 and 7 will be issued by the Queensland Studies Authority, and unfortunately these have still not been received. As such we anticipate them to arrive during the upcoming break and we will distribute them early in term 4.
Stephen Adams
Principal