Important Message for Parents
The MySchool Website
Following much controversy and attention in the media the MySchool website will be published today. The Years 3 & 5 children’s aggregated results from the 2009 national testing will be published online.
Our results will not compare well with many other schools. The reason for this is simple. Sarah Redfern Public School welcomes ALL children. As long as we can provide the appropriate resources for a child to participate effectively in our school they will be given the chance. We also host five classes for students with intellectual disabilities from across the Sydney South West Region. All those children are invited to complete the NAPLAN tests with their mainstream peers. Some parents encourage their participation, as is their choice and right. The fact that these children achieve in the lowest band of the test is not reflective of their perseverance and hard work but confirms what we already know – the tests are not designed for children with disabilities. Their optional inclusion is a government imperative.
When these results are added with the full Years 3 & 5 cohorts they give a misleading lower average. Unfortunately the results do not demonstrate how well our more academic and average students are performing. For example, I doubt there are many schools that can claim that 12% of their Year 4 students have gained entry or reserve to OC classes. We have also had outstanding results in the University of NSW academic competitions and several of our Year 6 students from 2009 won their way and will begin in selective high schools (sporting, performing arts and academically gifted) this week.
We must also remember that each year when the most capable move into OC our higher results are reduced. This will be of most impact this year when our highest achieving Year 5 students have moved on to the OC classes.
I believe that our children’s individual results reflect good progress, excellent teaching and quality education. I do not believe that the average of their results reflects these.
On Friday, we can anticipate that at least some elements of the media are going to further exaggerate the problem by adding the children’s average results in literacy and numeracy and coming up with a number that they will compare to other schools around Australia / NSW / Campbelltown. I am concerned that this may denigrate our school and our community. Parents, as ambassadors for our school, please tell the whole story.
I am genuinely sorry that we have come to such a situation. I am not sorry that we welcome ALL children.
Many thanks,
Cheryl McBride OAM
Principal
Sarah Redfern Public School.