Cessnock High School has achieved a remarkable turnaround in academic performance, ranking among the state’s best schools following a comprehensive five-year improvement strategy. The school’s results, revealed in March 2024, demonstrate a significant shift from previously low benchmarks to exceeding expectations in key areas.
Principal Belinda Cooper noted that the transformation of the school culture is unprecedented in her extensive experience. In 2019, Cessnock High was performing below state standards in basic skills and the Higher School Certificate (HSC). At that time, HSC results placed the school in the bottom three bands, and students struggled with vital skills assessed by NAPLAN standardized testing.
To address these challenges, the school sought assistance from the University of Newcastle‘s Quality Teaching Academy and researcher Drew Miller, an expert in educational methodologies. Dr. Miller pointed out that over two decades of research indicate that an analytical approach to enhancing learning outcomes is effective. However, successful implementation requires strong leadership and commitment from educators.
The school’s previous NAPLAN data indicated a pressing need for value-added metrics to improve core learning outcomes. According to Cooper, value-added education reflects the additional benefits that schools provide to enhance student learning. This approach was particularly critical for Cessnock High in 2019.
In 2020, the school initiated a four-year longitudinal study with the University of Newcastle. Faculty members began to rigorously examine their teaching practices while collaborating to identify effective strategies. They adopted an explicit teaching methodology that clearly outlined learning objectives and expectations. Teachers observed one another’s classes and provided feedback, allowing them to refine their approaches based on shared experiences.
“There are no secrets about what we want to learn and how we want to learn it,” Cooper explained. “Once we have done the explicit teaching, we can engage those students in high potential and gifted activities.”
The Australian national curriculum authority, Acara, administers NAPLAN and offers critical insights into educational benchmarks. It has consistently argued against simplistic league tables that rank schools based solely on performance scores. Instead, Acara emphasizes comparing schools with similar starting points to gauge improvement over time, providing a more accurate representation of educational progress.
By 2023, Cessnock High School climbed to the 35th position in the state for student improvement in years 7 to 9. By 2024, it further advanced to the 11th position. The latest NAPLAN results revealed that the school ranked seventh in the state for enhancing student achievement, a fact that left Cooper overwhelmed with pride.
A recent statement from the New South Wales Education Department highlighted Cessnock High as one of 20 schools making significant differences for students across various grade levels. “Teachers consistently mentioned the importance of explicit teaching, collaboration, high expectations, effective feedback, and consistency as the keys to their success,” the department noted.
Cooper remarked, “We have been doing this for five years now. It’s a cycle of continuous learning, and it’s clear that it is working. You can see the impact of the quality teaching practices in the classroom from the data.” She expressed gratitude for her faculty and students, stating, “100 percent of these results belong to every single one of them. Our staff are just so proud.”
Dr. Miller echoed the importance of the school’s collective effort, emphasizing that coherence among educators is vital in achieving success. He praised Cessnock High for its commitment to developing a unified approach among faculty, which he identified as a significant factor in their achievements.
The upcoming 2025 NAPLAN results will be particularly noteworthy, as they represent the first opportunity to extract long-term trends following a major overhaul of the testing metrics in 2023. Initial results indicate steady student attendance and highlight the need for ongoing focus on educational improvement.
In the most recent assessments, students at Cessnock High outperformed their peers from similar backgrounds in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy. This progress underscores the school’s commitment to fostering an environment conducive to academic success, reflecting the dedication of both teachers and students in overcoming past challenges.
