Celebrating Success: Jolimont Primary & Oakwood Primary Soar in Latest NAPLAN
Teach Well is beyond proud to celebrate two extraordinary schools – Jolimont Primary School and Oakwood Primary School – for their standout performance in the latest NAPLAN results. Their progress is testament to what happens when exceptional leadership, dedicated teachers, and evidence-based teaching practices come together. We are honoured to be partners with both schools.
Jolimont Primary: Leading the Way in High Achievement
According to the recent coverage in The West Australian, Jolimont Primary is one of only two WA primary schools named among the 30 “high-achievement” schools in this year’s statewide NAPLAN round. What stands out: 69% of their Year 5 students made above-average progress in numeracy – the highest among all schools on the list – when compared with students of similar backgrounds and the same starting scores from Year 3. Their reading growth was also outstanding, with 62% of Year 5s achieving above-average progress.
As the West Australian puts it, these results reflect more than just test scores. The principal of Jolimont, Barbara Iffla, told The West Australian that staff were “delighted and proud” that their efforts were translating into real, significant outcomes for students. For a relatively small school, with about 410 students from Kindergarten to Year 6, this kind of high-impact, high-growth result is especially impressive.
We at Teach Well are proud that 20 teachers from Jolimont have completed our Masterclass in High-Impact Instruction. Their willingness to build capacity, implement evidence-based instructional strategies, and commit to continuous improvement is clearly paying off in real student progress.
Oakwood Primary: A Transformation Story in Public Education
The journey at Oakwood has been nothing short of remarkable. Back in 2021, around 60% of NAPLAN “areas” (reading, writing, numeracy across Years 3 & 5) were at expected performance, while 40% were well below. But by 2024 – after robust, whole-school improvement work – Oakwood achieved a dramatic turnaround: 100% of NAPLAN areas were within or above expected performance. This means students significantly outperformed their peers from “like schools” (schools serving similar demographics) across Reading, Writing and Numeracy in both Year 3 and Year 5.
Underlying this transformation is deep commitment: more than 40 teachers at Oakwood have been through Teach Well’s Masterclass in High-Impact Instruction. As Oakwood’s principal, Will Davis, told The West Australian, that professional learning – alongside strong leadership and whole-school focus – has helped embed consistent, high-quality teaching.
For a school serving over 900 students, with a relatively modest Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage (ICSEA around 1005), this result is a powerful demonstration that with the right approach and support, public schools can deliver “high performance with high care.”
What These Results Tell Us
Evidence-Based Practice + Professional Learning = Real Growth
The data from Jolimont and Oakwood align strongly with what we believe: when schools commit to research-based, high-impact instruction, and invest in teacher professional learning, it leads to real, measurable student progress. At Jolimont, that meant high proportions of Year 5 students making above-average growth in numeracy and reading over two years. At Oakwood, whole-school improvement, guided by consistent pedagogy and solid PL, transformed under-performance into strong, broadly-based achievement across all NAPLAN areas.
Leadership & Whole School Commitment Matters
These results don’t happen without effort and determination. In both schools, there is evidence of strong leadership, a culture of continuous improvement, collaborative staff, and a shared commitment to lifting student outcomes. Principals Barbara Iffla (Jolimont) and Will Davis (Oakwood) were quoted in the West Australian to credit the role of their teachers and the collective focus on effective teaching practices.
A Reinforcing Win for Teach Well’s Mission
For Teach Well, these successes reaffirm our mission: to equip teachers and school leaders with research-based, high-impact practices that deliver real, measurable student progress. Jolimont and Oakwood stand as living proof of what’s possible when schools commit to quality teaching and learning.
Looking Ahead: Our Ongoing Partnership
We are honoured to be partners with both schools to support their ongoing growth and sustain their high-impact instruction long term. The results of Jolimont and Oakwood show that evidence-based teaching leads to real growth and real learning for every student. Our team is hugely excited to continue working alongside you as you help students discover their potential.
If you’re a school leader, principal or teacher interested in seeing similar growth at your school, we encourage you to explore our Masterclass in High-Impact Instruction and our broader PL offerings at Teach Well because we believe in the power of professional learning to transform student outcomes.
References