MORE than a million students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia will take the annual NAPLAN tests next week.

Last year, Tea Gardens Public School was recognised by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as one of four schools in the Hunter region who achieved above average gains in their NAPLAN results, between testing in Year 3 and Year 5.

“We are looking forward to once again demonstrating our skills and knowledge across the testing components,” Tea Gardens Principal Mr Mark Clemson said.

NAPLAN testing occurs over three days and covers skills in Spelling, Punctuation and Grammar, Writing, Reading and Numeracy.

Results are reported against the national minimum standards and are used by schools to support teaching and learning programs.

Mr Clemson said the core focus in any school is on improving student learning outcomes.

“At Tea Gardens, we are no different, we need to have high expectations for our students and for our school,” he said.

“Our ultimate goal needs to be that we as a school community, are able to achieve above average gains consistently and strive for excellence across all areas of schooling.”

The same expectations are echoed by Bulahdelah Central School’s (BCS) Deputy Principal, Mrs Deb Gilbert.

“We all want each of our students to demonstrate their learning and to show significant progress as they move through their schooling years,” Mrs Gilbert said.

“We are in a unique situation where we can map students’ educational growth from Year 3 to Year 9. This enables us to use the expertise that we have in all areas of the school to address each student’s identified learning needs through regular assessments, including NAPLAN results.”

But like any formal assessment situation, many young people worry about performing well in the NAPLAN tests.

BCS Year 7 Advisor Ms Georgina Cunich, encourages students to keep the tests in perspective.

“Just do your best, stay relaxed and speak up if you are feeling anxious,” she said.

The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) was introduced in 2008 to identify and support students who need assistance in reaching the national minimum standards.