Here’s a link to the NAPLAN test for parents.

With the start of the new school term, and the NAPLAN assessment just weeks away, the spotlight will be on teachers and their impact when it comes to NAPLAN.

In a nationwide survey conducted by online tutoring company, Cluey Learning, almost three quarters of all parents (70 per cent), say they will take action in some way if their kids’ NAPLAN results are poor such as increasing home study, tutoring as well as speaking to teachers direct.

Almost half of all parents (49 per cent) believe their child’s teacher is stressed about NAPLAN testing to a degree. Additionally, more than one third (38 per cent) feel standardised testing is an unfair pressure on teachers.

More than a million school students will sit for the NAPLAN tests between May 10-20 this year. Rick Molineux, Head of Primary at Cluey, said as a qualified primary school teacher he sympathised with the immense pressure teachers have been under throughout COVID.

“Teachers do an amazing job juggling an increasingly complex range of responsibilities and put in a huge effort wanting to see students do well, so it’s hardly surprising many seem a bit stressed during NAPLAN,” he said. 

“Standardised testing might not be the most exciting tool, but it does tell us some very useful things about how well children are doing over longer periods of time. A big-picture view might put more frequent school reports into perspective which empowers families to take action if anything new is revealed. 

“We know children do really well when parents are partners in their child’s education, whether by helping kids with schoolwork or enrolling them in after-school programs to support what’s being delivered in the classroom.”

The research further revealed 42 per cent of parents believe there are better ways to measure kids than tests or exams.

Cluey currently have a mock NAPLAN exam on their website challenging parents to complete 10 questions from past Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN papers designed for students aged 8-15.

Close to 4,000 parents tried their luck at the mock questions last year resulting in just under 4 per cent of them achieving a 10/10 score, and an average score of 6.5/10. In particular, questions six and seven stumped parents the most.Take the test here to see how you’d fare.