This year students in Years 3 and 5 at Immanuel Gawler will be taking part in NAPLAN testing.  This testing takes place across Australia for all students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.  As was the case last year, the testing will happen in Term 1.  The format for the testing will be online (with the exception of Year 3 Writing, which will be a paper and pencil test) and as a result the test schedule has a degree of flexibility.  The testing period runs from Wednesday 13 March to Monday 25 March (Weeks 7, 8 and 9), with catch-up testing also taking place in this period (except Year 3 Writing).  A timetable for testing is included at the end of this letter.

NAPLAN (The National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy) is an Australia-wide testing program which takes place every year, and tests are administered in all schools across Australia.  All Australian schools are required by the Australian Education Act 2013 (Commonwealth) to participate in this testing.  NAPLAN aims to provide parents and schools with information about student performance.  Student results in the form of individual reports are shown in relation to average performance of students in Australia and national minimum standards.  The program includes a number of tests on literacy, comprising reading, writing and conventions of language (spelling, punctuation and grammar).  It also includes numeracy assessment, covering mathematical skills through the concepts of number and algebra, measurement and geometry, and statistics and probability.

In preparation for this year’s NAPLAN online testing, all schools will take part in a Nationally Coordinated Practice Test (NCPT).  This test will be conducted on Tuesday, 27 February.  It is important that students and their parents/caregivers are aware that the NCPT taking place on this date is a test of the national platform, the school and its systems.  The NCPT is not a test of student achievement or ability and results of student testing will not be recorded or reported.

NAPLAN testing can be a stressful time for some students (and parents), particularly for those who have not experienced the tests before.  It is important for both students and parents to be aware that assessment at Immanuel Gawler is a continuous process taking place throughout a student’s time at school.  NAPLAN testing can provide useful information in this process but it is only one form of assessment, giving a snapshot of one subject area at one point in time, and there are limitations to its use.

While we encourage students to do their best in these tests and we provide opportunities for them to become familiar with the format and content areas of NAPLAN testing, we also remind students that NAPLAN is only one of many forms of assessment, and that it is not something which should be a source of undue stress.

A brochure is attached providing additional information from the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority on NAPLAN testing.  If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or see your child’s class teacher.

Yours sincerely,

Andrew Boesch

Coordinator of Learning – Primary Years