By Cam Lucadou-Wells
Defying demographics, Narre Warren South P-12 College has emerged as one of the nation’s shining lights in the latest NAPLAN results.
The school was a huge improver in reading and maths compared to the rest of Australia’s students, according to the results published on the My Schools website this month.
Its primary school students improved in these key measures by 40 per cent, its Year 9 students up by 52 per cent in numeracy.
The college’s proud principal Rob Duncan said the success came down to “real attention-to-detail” given to each student and where they needed to improve.
Literacy was a particular challenge for the diverse student body, which comprises 50 ethnic groups and 64 languages, Mr Duncan said.
However, maths was a “universal language”.
“That’s an area where we can make connections with kids straightaway, provided we’re able to put the work in with them and they are willing to improve as well.”
The school also scored strong 2017 VCE results despite students generally coming from significant socio-economic disadvantage.
“It shows that your postcode is not the determinant of your future,” Mr Duncan said.
“You can achieve things through hard work and a supportive framework.
“You can get to places you didn’t think you could go to.”
Mr Duncan said that staff, students and the community had a school that they could be proud of.
It was tribute to a lot of hard work over the school’s 15-year history, he said.
“We’re in a position where we can make decisions affecting our kids in a really positive way.”
