St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School Punchbowl celebrates its 2025 NAPLAN results, with strong gains in the number of students reaching the top two bands across multiple learning areas.
“We’re incredibly proud of our students and staff,” said Principal Carolynne Cavanagh. “Our school’s ongoing improvement is the result of years of strategic planning, collaborative teamwork, and the consistent implementation of explicit, targeted teaching practices that address the needs of every learner.”
“Our staff meet every three weeks to collaboratively analyse student learning data and review individual growth. This rigorous and reflective process ensures that all students are both supported and challenged to achieve their personal best, fostering a culture of high expectations and excellence.”
St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School Punchbowl’s Year 3 students demonstrated exceptional growth across all five NAPLAN domains, with standout improvements in spelling (+30.22%) and writing (+25.12%):
Year 3 student results:
- Reading: +18.41%
- Numeracy: +10.17%
- Grammar and Punctuation: +17.86%
- Spelling: +30.22%
- Writing: +25.12%
Year 5 students also demonstrated strong gains with impressive results and growth across four out of five NAPLAN domains, standout improvements include numeracy (+33.3%) and grammar and punctuation (+23.81%):
Year 5 student results:
- Reading: +9.52%
- Numeracy: +33.33%
- Grammar and Punctuation: +23.81%
- Spelling: +9.52%
“Our teachers use direct explicit instruction, pre- and post-assessment, and team-teaching models to ensure every student is supported,” Principal Cavanagh said.
“We also invest in ongoing coaching and structured professional learning, and the results speak for themselves.”
Danielle Cronin, Executive Director of Sydney Catholic Schools said the gains reflect the commitment to improving teaching quality through ongoing professional learning, systematic assessment practices, and targeted intervention strategies.
“Sydney Catholic Schools’ approach is underpinned by high impact teaching practices, including explicit instruction, modelling, guided practice, and continuous formative assessment,” Ms Cronin said.
“Schools such as St Jerome’s Catholic Primary School Punchbowl are continuing to foster academic excellence by ensuring that every student’s needs are known and teachers are equipped to use a range of evidence-based practices to ensure that every learner is succeeding, regardless of their background.”
In the 2025 NAPLAN results, more than 75 per cent of Sydney Catholic Schools students across Years 3, 5, 7, 9 were deemed proficient in reading, writing and numeracy, falling into the top two bands.