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| ‘They leave our school flying’: how one Sydney school is defying its ‘disadvantage’ | ‘They leave our school flying’: how one Sydney school is defying its ‘disadvantage’ |
| (about 3 hours later) | |
| Auburn North public school outperforms others despite English not being the first language for 98% of students | Auburn North public school outperforms others despite English not being the first language for 98% of students |
| The principal of Auburn North public school, Mark Harris, refuses to describe his students as “disadvantaged”. | The principal of Auburn North public school, Mark Harris, refuses to describe his students as “disadvantaged”. |
| Despite the school’s catchment being among the most diverse and disadvantaged in New South Wales, Harris and his school have defied the characterisation, outperforming similar schools in this year’s Naplan tests. | Despite the school’s catchment being among the most diverse and disadvantaged in New South Wales, Harris and his school have defied the characterisation, outperforming similar schools in this year’s Naplan tests. |
| “We’re aware that schools with a low socioeconomic disadvantage status and 98% English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) should not be theoretically performing as well as state average, but we discard that,” he said. | “We’re aware that schools with a low socioeconomic disadvantage status and 98% English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D) should not be theoretically performing as well as state average, but we discard that,” he said. |
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| “We know that we’re better than that. Our students deserve much better than that. So the Naplan results that we received this year reflect what has been happening for the last seven or eight years at Auburn North.” | “We know that we’re better than that. Our students deserve much better than that. So the Naplan results that we received this year reflect what has been happening for the last seven or eight years at Auburn North.” |
| On Wednesday the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) will release a swathe of new data on the My School website about Australian schools, including annual funding, attendance and Naplan results. | On Wednesday the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (Acara) will release a swathe of new data on the My School website about Australian schools, including annual funding, attendance and Naplan results. |
| The school was identified by the Acara as one of 20 schools in New South Wales that overachieved across all areas compared with schools with similar socioeconomic background. | The school was identified by the Acara as one of 20 schools in New South Wales that overachieved across all areas compared with schools with similar socioeconomic background. |
| The lists for each state or territory include schools that have consistently achieved average Naplan scores across all domains (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy) and all school years (Years 3 and 5) that are above the results for similar students. | The lists for each state or territory include schools that have consistently achieved average Naplan scores across all domains (reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy) and all school years (Years 3 and 5) that are above the results for similar students. |
| The list also included Westdale public school, Murray Farm public school, Fairfield West public school, Fairfield Heights public school, St Ives North public school and Canley Vale high school. | The list also included Westdale public school, Murray Farm public school, Fairfield West public school, Fairfield Heights public school, St Ives North public school and Canley Vale high school. |
| It also included independent or religious schools, like John the Baptist Catholic primary school, Northcross Christian school, Al-Faisal college, St Narsai Assyrian Christian college and Sydney Grammar school. | It also included independent or religious schools, like John the Baptist Catholic primary school, Northcross Christian school, Al-Faisal college, St Narsai Assyrian Christian college and Sydney Grammar school. |
| Fully or partially selective schools were excluded. | Fully or partially selective schools were excluded. |
| Auburn North’s success was not a surprise to Harris, who said careful planning and an intricate understanding of the local community has helped propel school results. | Auburn North’s success was not a surprise to Harris, who said careful planning and an intricate understanding of the local community has helped propel school results. |
| All but 2% of the school’s students come from a language background other than English and around a fifth of the students are from a refugee background. | All but 2% of the school’s students come from a language background other than English and around a fifth of the students are from a refugee background. |
| Harris says these challenges have become advantages to the students at his school, supported by tailor-made programs that engage the students and their families. | Harris says these challenges have become advantages to the students at his school, supported by tailor-made programs that engage the students and their families. |
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| “I think they’re the most advantaged kids in the world. They’re most fortunate. They are as capable, if not more capable than most people their age in the state and we ensure that we develop challenging programs for them.” | |
| “But most importantly, we work hand-in-hand with parents. I’ve never been in a school with so many parents. They are participating both as parents and as partners in learning.” | “But most importantly, we work hand-in-hand with parents. I’ve never been in a school with so many parents. They are participating both as parents and as partners in learning.” |
| The school offers various programs for parents, including a “Harmony House” which offers English, technology, swimming and yoga classes. Early childhood classes for children with learning delays are also offered. | The school offers various programs for parents, including a “Harmony House” which offers English, technology, swimming and yoga classes. Early childhood classes for children with learning delays are also offered. |
| Most prominently, the school involves parents in learning, offering 10 to 12 grade-based workshops a year for parents, where teachers explain to the parents how literacy and numeracy is being taught in the classrooms. | Most prominently, the school involves parents in learning, offering 10 to 12 grade-based workshops a year for parents, where teachers explain to the parents how literacy and numeracy is being taught in the classrooms. |
| “This has shown to have a huge impact on improving teacher-parent confidence in terms of assisting their children with their learning, and it increases the their awareness of how their student how their children are learning,” he said. | “This has shown to have a huge impact on improving teacher-parent confidence in terms of assisting their children with their learning, and it increases the their awareness of how their student how their children are learning,” he said. |
| The school has also implemented a support structure for teachers, where every teacher in every grade has an off-class supervisor or facilitator who coaches and mentors them. | The school has also implemented a support structure for teachers, where every teacher in every grade has an off-class supervisor or facilitator who coaches and mentors them. |
| “It means they leave our school flying,” Harris said. | “It means they leave our school flying,” Harris said. |
| A spokesperson for Acara said the lists were compiled to show some of the “remarkable” work being done by schools. | A spokesperson for Acara said the lists were compiled to show some of the “remarkable” work being done by schools. |
| “By highlighting some of the work of schools that are making a difference for their students and their communities, we hope it showcases for others to see how these schools are achieving above expectations in their Naplan results when compared to students of a similar socio-educational background across the nation. | “By highlighting some of the work of schools that are making a difference for their students and their communities, we hope it showcases for others to see how these schools are achieving above expectations in their Naplan results when compared to students of a similar socio-educational background across the nation. |
| “Some of these schools we understand are doing remarkable work taking evidence-based approaches to improve outcomes for students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with complex needs.” | “Some of these schools we understand are doing remarkable work taking evidence-based approaches to improve outcomes for students, including those from disadvantaged backgrounds and with complex needs.” |