“Anything that gives us an opportunity to see how boys are going is a positive thing.”— Mrs Crystal Hede
When the 2026 NAPLAN results arrived at Toowoomba Grammar School, there was genuine excitement among staff.
The results represented more than a cause for celebration, they provided encouraging evidence that a deliberate focus on literacy and evidence-informed teaching is helping boys grow in confidence as writers and learners.
Across every year level and every NAPLAN domain, TGS students performed above the Queensland state average. Most notably, Year 3 and Year 5 students achieved the strongest Writing results in the School's NAPLAN history, while Numeracy continued to be a significant strength across the School.
For Mrs Crystal Hede, Director of Innovation and Learning and Mrs Chantelle Bauer, Deputy Head of Junior School (Teaching and Learning), the results represented an important milestone.
Not because NAPLAN is viewed as the final measure of success, but because it provided valuable insight into how boys are progressing and the impact of teaching and learning across the School.
In many ways, the results felt like a School-wide personal best.
The strongest Writing results in TGS history are worth celebrating in their own right. More importantly, they provide encouraging evidence that the deliberate work taking place in classrooms every day is helping boys build the literacy foundations they need for future success. The results also reflect the dedication of students, the expertise of teachers and the partnership between school and home that supports every boy's learning journey.
While the Writing results attracted particular attention, they were far from the only encouraging outcome. Across every year level and every NAPLAN domain, Toowoomba Grammar School students performed above the Queensland state average. Numeracy remained a significant strength, particularly in Years 7 and 9, while strong Reading results in Year 7 and improved Spelling outcomes in Year 9 reflected the School's ongoing focus on literacy foundations.
For Mrs Hede, one of the most pleasing aspects of the results was seeing evidence of a continuum of learning across the School.
"One of the strengths of NAPLAN is that it allows us to track progress over time," Mrs Hede said.
"There are very few external measures that enable us to do that as effectively. It helps us understand what we're doing well, where students are growing and where we need to focus next."
The strong senior school Numeracy results, combined with gains in Reading, Writing and Spelling, suggest the School's focus on evidence-informed teaching and strong foundations is benefiting boys across multiple year levels. Rather than representing a single success story, the results point to a broader culture of continuous improvement in teaching and learning.
"We don't see NAPLAN as the be all and end all, but it is an important piece of data. It helps us understand what we're doing well, where students are growing and whether the work happening in classrooms is making a difference." Mrs Hede said.
What made this year's results particularly exciting was the timing.
Educational initiatives often take several years before significant gains begin to emerge. Yet after just 18 months of implementing Talk For Writing in the Junior School, staff could already see evidence that the approach was having an impact.
Mrs Hede adds, "In fact, our Explicit Instruction approach, combined with our literacy programs, has given these boys a strong foundation and a clear structure. And that structure is a gift; it gives them the confidence and freedom to be creative."
"Our big focus on literacy and numeracy is all about giving these boys a strong foundation from which they can launch, they can be creative and that's why I think we're so excited about these results."
When Mrs Hede and Mrs Bauer began reviewing the students' writing samples, they found something even more rewarding than the scores themselves.
“We were reading the writing scripts and looking for evidence of the programs we've been implementing and we could see it.”— Mrs Crystal Hede
For the educators leading the work, that was perhaps the clearest sign of all.
"The Talk for Writing program we've been rolling out in the Junior School has been a great success and Chantelle and her team have done an amazing job implementing it."
"It's been wonderful to see how much fun the boys are having, especially to watch them grow in confidence. They're more willing to have a go, share their ideas and put themselves out there," Mrs Hede said.
Chantelle Bauer has been co-teaching in many classes in the early rollout of the program and is seeing firsthand its success.
"Boys that are excellent writers can take that even further and boys that have struggled finally see themselves as a writer and I think that's so powerful." she said.
This year's results do not represent a finish line. Rather, they mark an encouraging milestone reached earlier than expected and a sign that the School's focus on strong literacy and numeracy foundations is helping more boys develop the knowledge, confidence and capability to succeed.
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