By the Specialist Reporting Team and national education and parenting correspondent

The latest NAPLAN results have been distributed to families nationwide, offering parents insights into their children’s progress in literacy and numeracy.

However, understanding these results and determining the next steps can sometimes feel daunting for parents.

Educational specialists emphasize that while these results can highlight areas requiring additional support, they do not serve as a conclusive measure of a child’s capabilities or their potential for future academic success.

This article explains the meaning of the achievement bands and provides guidance for parents on what to do next.

NAPLAN, which stands for National Assessment Program — Literacy and Numeracy, is an annual assessment conducted for students in years 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Overseen by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), this program aims to provide parents with data regarding their children’s performance and school effectiveness, while also offering policymakers a glimpse into the education system’s overall health.

Parents, school administrators, and education advocates can now search for specific schools on the My School website to review their performance in reading, writing, spelling, grammar, and numeracy, although results for 2026 will not be available until later this year.

What do the NAPLAN achievement levels signify?

NAPLAN categorizes student performance into four bands: exceeding, strong, developing, and needs additional support.

For children placed in the top two bands, the focus should be on extending their learning opportunities and continuing to challenge them.

• Exceeding: Indicates performance that surpasses expectations during the assessment.
• Strong: Reflects a student meeting challenging yet attainable expectations.
• Developing: Suggests that the student is making progress towards the expected standards.
• Needs additional support: Denotes that the student is not meeting expected learning outcomes and may require assistance to advance.

Should parents be concerned if their child falls into the ‘developing’ category?

Experts advise that NAPLAN results should be viewed as a valuable piece of information rather than an absolute measure of a child’s abilities. It is essential to consider these results alongside classroom performance, feedback from teachers, and the child’s overall advancement.

ACARA emphasizes the importance of the “student progress” section on its portal, which illustrates the growth of students within their school rather than merely presenting raw test scores. This data compares individual progress with that of peers who have similar educational backgrounds and starting points.

According to Fiona Longmuir, a senior lecturer in education at Monash University, “NAPLAN testing is merely one component of the broader educational efforts undertaken by schools and teachers. The results should be contextualized within the comprehensive learning experience and engagement parents have with schools.”

Longmuir also noted that it is crucial to remember that it represents “one test on one day,” and parents should not be alarmed if the results do not align with their child’s usual performance. “It could simply be a discussion point about whether the student had an off day or if the test has highlighted an area worth exploring further,” she added.

What steps can parents take if their child is encountering difficulties in school?

Early intervention is vital, and NAPLAN results can serve as a critical indicator for children in the lower two proficiency bands. Experts recommend that parents initiate conversations with their child’s teacher to pinpoint any areas of concern.

Additionally, parents can bolster their child’s learning at home through consistent reading, basic math exercises, and engaging in everyday literacy and numeracy activities.

ABC News has also highlighted strategies for parents seeking to improve literacy, outlining essential components involved in learning to read.

For families facing economic challenges, The Smith Family operates a program called Learning for Life, which assists 71,000 children across Australia with educational expenses. Doug Taylor, CEO of The Smith Family, emphasized the impact of living costs on children’s academic performance and the importance of early intervention by teachers in collaboration with parents and guardians. “Children may lack internet access, miss out on excursions, or frequently move to find affordable housing, all of which can be highly disruptive,” he stated.

Federal Education Minister Jason Clare remarked that government-funded, small-group tutoring in classrooms has proven effective for helping struggling students catch up. “We aim to provide intensive support to children who are falling behind by placing them in small groups of two or three,” he explained. “What we are offering is free tutoring during school hours for those who require it.”

Understanding the limitations and capabilities of NAPLAN

It is crucial to remember that NAPLAN provides only a temporary snapshot. It does not account for the entirety of a school’s offerings and should not be the sole criterion for evaluating a school.

Educational leaders from across Australia have previously issued an open letter addressing the misleading nature of league tables that rank schools based on NAPLAN results, asserting that such rankings can misrepresent public perceptions and undermine confidence in the public education system.

What should parents prioritize when researching schools?

Dr. Longmuir advises looking beyond NAPLAN results to evaluate how a school aligns with the individual needs of a child. “The most effective approach is to visit the school, engage with the community, and gather insights regarding the school’s performance,” she suggested. “You might discover a school with a particularly robust performing arts program, strong music curriculum, or excellent science offerings, and assessing how these align with your child’s interests can be beneficial.”