By Alex Crowe
Oakleigh South Primary School has transformed from a school at risk of closure to one performing better than most others in the state – and it has the NAPLAN results to prove it.
Three decades ago, the school was earmarked for closure and listed among the worst performing in Victoria.
Oakleigh South Primary School acting principal Nikki Virtuoso (back, left) and assistant principal Erik Albers with students (from left) Masaki, Prayag, Evelina and Deanna.Credit: Eddie Jim
But principal Ron Cantlon was determined to turn things around and over 32 years at the helm has watched the school thrive.
“He has spent his life building this school to what it is today,” acting principal Nikki Virtuoso said.
The Age analysed the average NAPLAN scores across all five disciplines for schools in the state, which showed Oakleigh South outperformed all government primary schools in Melbourne’s south-east and performed in the top 15 primary schools across government and non-government schools in Victoria.
“We are very proud of our literacy and numeracy results, of course. They’re very strong,” Virtuoso said. “However, linking children to school is our proudest achievement.”
The NAPLAN test, taken in March by all students in years 3, 5,7 and 9, assesses students’ reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy.
The top-performing schools for each region highlighted the achievement of selective-entry government schools, including Melbourne High and Mac.Robertson Girls’ High in inner Melbourne, Suzanne Cory High in Melbourne’s west and Nossal High in Melbourne’s south-east.
Schools are not ranked in order of achievement. The scores reflect raw test results and are not weighted for schools’ socioeconomic status.
Camberwell Grammar School in Melbourne’s inner east, Korowa Anglican Girls’ School in the inner south, Melbourne Rudolf Steiner School in the outer east and Lighthouse Christian College Cranbourne in the south-east were among the top-ranked independent schools for their regions.
Along with Oakleigh South, other government primary schools to make the grade included Preston West Primary School in the north-east, Vermont Primary School in the outer east and Glen Huntly Primary School in the inner south.
Ballarat Clarendon College, which has topped the state’s VCE results for consecutive years, was one of the top-ranked regional schools for NAPLAN once again.
At Oakleigh South, school leadership has prioritised investment in extracurricular activities, including its sports programs, theatre productions, robotics and code clubs. Students can learn a language, or care for chooks in the “sustainable village” at the property, which “is basically a mini farm”.
“We connect kids to school by giving them something that they’re passionate about at school, and that is what we are most proud of,” Virtuoso said.
She said Oakleigh South had “exceptionally high behaviour expectations” of students and was blessed with good kids.
Oakleigh South students are taught what behaviour is expected of them early on, and rules are linked back to the school values
“You would not be able to achieve those results unless you have exemplary behaviour,” Virtuoso said.
And as for principal Cantlon, 71, his transformational work is in safe hands.
“He’s very welcome to stay in the chair for as long as he would like to, but he’s not going to be here forever,” Virtuoso said.
“But he has a really amazing staff … that are very committed to continuing his legacy, and keeping this place in the top-performing schools in Victoria.”
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