NAPLAN: What Parents Really Need to Know

Two Sacred Heart Primary, Mount Druitt students writing into their workbooks in class.

Each March, families across Australia hear a lot about NAPLAN. The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) assesses students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 in reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy. But what does it really mean for your child in 2026?

First, NAPLAN serves an important purpose. It provides a consistent, nationwide snapshot of how students are progressing in foundational skills. For schools, it offers useful data to identify strengths, highlight areas for improvement and guide evidence-based teaching strategies. For families, it can be a helpful reference point in understanding how their child is tracking against national benchmarks.

In that sense, NAPLAN matters. However, it’s equally important to understand what NAPLAN is not.

NAPLAN is not a measure of your child’s intelligence, potential or overall ability. It does not assess creativity, critical thinking, collaboration, resilience or empathy.

“NAPLAN gives us useful data, but it’s only one part of a much bigger learning picture,” says Lisa Crampton, Head of Primary Learning at CSPD. “Parents should see it as a check-in point, along with other school-based assessments, rather than a judgement. What matters most is consistent growth over time and how well a school supports the whole child.”

St Michael's Primary School, Baulkham hills student using Chromebook in class. He is wearing earbuds.

So what can parents do?

Lisa’s advice is simple: keep it calm and keep it balanced.

“Encourage your child to do their best, make sure they’re well-rested, and remind them that one test doesn’t define them. Students experience explicit literacy and numeracy instruction every day in our classrooms within a multi-tiered system of support that ensures students receive any additional support they need quickly.”

At Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, we use NAPLAN as a tool to shed light on our progress in lifting each students’ literacy and numeracy skills.

In 2026, NAPLAN will continue to play a role in Australian education. But in the bigger picture, it remains just one chapter in a much larger story - your child’s lifelong journey of learning and growth.

At Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese, we believe every child has the potential for greatness. Across our 80 primary and secondary schools in Western Sydney and the Blue Mountains, students are supported to thrive not only in academic achievement but in character, purpose and belonging.

Find a school and register for an Open Day near you

Written By

Catholic Schools Parramatta Diocese
www.parra.catholic.edu.au

Facebook

04 Mar 2026
From Facebook
💦 🏊‍♂️ Diocesan Swimming Carnival! 🏊‍♂️ 💦 A massive congratulations to Flynn, Willow, Annabelle, Charlee, Shelby and Frankie who represented us at the Diocesan Swimming Carnival today! Incredible personal bests were set and the effort from every single one of them was absolutely amazing — we couldn't be prouder! A special shoutout to our Junior Girls Relay Team — Charlee, Frankie, Annabelle and Shelby — who not only swam a brilliant race together but also qualified for the NSW CPS Swimming Championships! And congratulations to Flynn, Charlee and Shelby who have qualified for the Parramatta Diocese Swim Team to compete in individual events at the NSW CPS Swimming Championships in April! What an incredible achievement — we'll be cheering you on all the way! Well done to everyone who took part — you should all be so proud of yourselves! #Swimming #DioceesanCarnival #NSWCPSSwimming #ParramattaDiocese #PersonalBest #ProudOfYou

03 Mar 2026
From Facebook
☀️🏃🏽‍♂️Cross Country Carnival 2026 🏃🏽‍♂️☀️ Last Wednesday, our students hit the track for an incredible Cross Country Carnival! With the sun shining and spirits high, it was a fantastic day filled with determination and team spirit! We were thrilled to see school records broken — an outstanding achievement by our talented runners! More importantly, the day was a true celebration of great sportsmanship, encouragement and school pride. Every student gave their best and supported one another, making it a fun and memorable event for all. #CrossCountryCarnival #SchoolSport #ProudSchool #Sportsmanship #SchoolRecords #FunInTheSun #ActiveKids