Independent, Catholic schools top scorers in Melton

Melton’s independent and Catholic schools are top of the class in the municipality, according to the latest My Schools results.

National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) data reveals Southern Cross Grammar in Caroline Springs was the best-performed school in the municipality.

The school’s grade 3s and year 7s scored substantially above the national average across reading, persuasive writing, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

Its grade 5s were either above or substantially above the average in all categories.

Principal Andrew Ponsford said the results showed how far the school had come since rising from the ashes of the former ICA College Melton less than three years ago.

“The school was founded on a commitment to each other and working collectively and with a shared determination to achieve a vision that involved saving the school,’’ Mr Ponsford said.

‘‘That determination is now about achieving personal bests and collectively being the best in the west.’’

Other schools with strong results included Brookside P-9 College, and Cana and St George Preca Catholic primary schools.

Kororoit Creek Primary School in Burnside Heights and Diggers Rest Primary School were among the best-performed state schools. Grade 3 students at Kororoit Creek were above the national average in all five subjects and grade 5 students above average in writing, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

Diggers Rest principal Rachelle Hedger said she wasn’t surprised by the school’s results, which showed improvement from the previous year. The school’s grade 3 pupils scored above the national average in reading, writing and grammar.

“I’m very proud of the results and they aren’t surprising to us as we are collecting results all the time,’’ Ms Hedger said.

“We pride ourselves on programs which are tailored to the individual.’’

But she warned against placing too much emphasis on the tests.

“NAPLAN is only one of the measures that we use to measure how students are going.”