Sydney Catholic Schools is celebrating strong growth in student numeracy achievement in the 2026 NAPLAN results, with a record proportion of students reaching the highest level of proficiency. 

Across the system, 80.9 per cent of students reached the proficiency standard in numeracy, up from 79.5 per cent in 2025, while the proportion of students achieving the highest ‘Exceeding’ level rose from 17.8 per cent to 20.1 per cent. 

The strongest gains were recorded in Years 5 and 7 while every year group showed growth at the top tier.  

Cohort tracking also demonstrated strong long-term progress. When following the same group of students from Year 3 in 2024 to Year 5 in 2026, overall proficiency climbed by 4 percentage points. 

Kevin Carragher, Sydney Catholic Schools Director of Education and Research said the results reflect sustained, system-wide work to strengthen mathematics teaching. 

“Behind every percentage point is a student growing in confidence, capability and a stronger belief in their ability to succeed in Mathematics. These results reflect the dedication of our teachers, who work every day to ensure each student is known, supported, appropriately challenged and progressing in their learning.” 

“Through evidence-informed teaching and strong relationships, our schools are creating the conditions for all students to succeed and reach their potential,” Mr Carragher said. 

Greg Georgiou, who leads numeracy and Mathematics for Sydney Catholic Schools, said the results highlight the impact of targeted support, professional learning and collaboration across schools.

“Understanding how the brain learns has been integral to this growth,” Mr Georgiou explained.  

“By effectively modelling examples, prioritising review, and providing the right level of support, students build confidence and independence. This approach helps students develop a strong understanding of Mathematics and equips them to tackle more complex problems as they progress.” 

Regina Coeli Catholic Primary School in Beverly Hills stands out as a strong example of this progress, with Year 5 Numeracy proficiency reaching above 90 per cent this year, an increase of 12-percentage points on 2025.  

Mr …