Targeted student support, evidence-informed professional learning and collaboration between schools are helping lift numeracy outcomes across Sydney Catholic Schools with exceptional NAPLAN results across the system. 

The results reveal the number of Sydney Catholic Schools students achieving NAPLAN's Strong or Exceeding numeracy bands in 2026 grew by 846 compared with 2024.  

Year 7 recorded the strongest system-wide improvement in numeracy rising five percentage points, while Years 5 and 9 also made gains. The progress was even more pronounced when the same group of students was tracked from Year 5 in 2024 to Year 7 in 2026, with proficiency rising by almost nine percentage points. 

Sydney Catholic Schools Director of Education and Research Kevin Carragher said the results reflected a consistent, evidence-based approach to mathematics teaching. 

"Our teachers are applying research on how the brain learns through explicit instruction, clear modelling, regular review and carefully tailored support, building students' confidence and ability to tackle increasingly complex mathematics," Mr Kevin Carragher said. 

"This deliberate approach helps students build knowledge progressively and retain it over time. The gains we are seeing across different year levels and schools show what sustained, high-quality teaching can achieve." 

Reading results also improved, with around 400 more Sydney Catholic Schools students achieving in the Strong or Exceeding bands than in 2024. 

Year 5 reading proficiency rose two percentage points to 86 per cent. Among matched students moving from Year 3 to Year 5, reading proficiency increased three points to 87 per cent. 

"These figures represent thousands of individual students strengthening the knowledge, skills and confidence they need for future learning," Mr Carragher said. 

"I want to thank our teachers and school leaders for their expertise, professionalism and commitment to ensuring every student has the opportunity to make progress." 

Key school insights – Primary schools 

St Joseph's Catholic Primary School Belmore 

  • Students achieving Exceeding in writing increased by 37 per cent from 2025 – 2026. 
  • Exceeding numeracy increased by 14 per cent from 2025 – 2026. 
  • Numeracy proficiency rose from 57 to 76 per cent from 2025 – 2026. 

Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Matraville 

  • Year 3 reading proficiency rose sharply from 62 per cent in 2025 to 87 per cent in 2026, an increase of almost 25 percentage points 
  • The proportion of Year 3 students achieving Exceeding in reading increased by more than 21 points in one year, from 20 to 43 per cent. 
  • Year 5 reading also remained strong, with 89 per cent of students achieving proficiency in 2026. 

St Brendan's Catholic Primary School Annandale 

  • Recorded the largest increase in students achieving Exceeding in primary numeracy from 2024 to 2026 with an increase of 21.89 percentage points. 

Key School insights – Secondary Schools 

St Anthony of Padua Catholic College Austral 

  • Strongest Year 7-to-Year 9 growth in numeracy proficiency levels, at 21 per cent from 2024 – 2026. 
  • Numeracy proficiency increased more than 10 per cent from 2024 to 2026 
  • Writing proficiency in rose almost six points from 2024 to 2026.  

Our Lady of Mercy Catholic College Burraneer 

  • Recorded the largest secondary increase in numeracy proficiency, up 12 points to 82 per cent from 2024 to 2026.  
  • Writing proficiency rose more than four points to 83 per cent from 2024 to 2026.  

Corpus Christi Catholic College Maroubra 

  • Recorded the strongest movement in matched students from below proficiency to proficient in secondary numeracy, at 11 per cent.  
  • Average Year 9 numeracy proficiency increased 10 per cent from 2025 to 2026. 
  • Average Year 9 reading rose 8 per cent from 2025 to 2026.