Wollongong school's year 5 readers rank 29.7 points above state average
Year 5 students at Mount St Thomas Public School scored 29.7 points above NSW average in NAPLAN reading.
Mount St Thomas Public School in Wollongong has cracked the code on getting children excited about reading. The school's year 5 students achieved 29.7 points above the NSW state average in 2026 NAPLAN reading, and 17.8 points above similar schools.
Year 3 students scored 20.7 points above state level and 5.5 above their peer group. The library has multiple copies of Roald Dahl books, yet there are still waitlists.
The school transformed the library into a Willy Wonka chocolate factory, with students and parents dressing as characters from Dahl's stories. Principal Ronda Moon credits the success to the books' nostalgia and strong collaboration between parents and teachers.
- 29.7 points
- Year 5 above state
- 17.8 points
- Year 5 above similar schools
- 20.7 points
- Year 3 above state
- 5.5 points
- Year 3 above peer group
Why it mattersThe results show that tapping into children's genuine interest through beloved stories can shift reading outcomes across an entire cohort.
AustraliaThe school's strategy offers a replicable model for other Australian schools working to lift reading levels and address literacy gaps among young students.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 6 d ago
