rainworth state school Archives

Why Well-off Families Choose This Bardon School For Their Kids

Bardon’s Rainworth State School has topped the list of Queensland’s Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage (ICSEA), suggesting that families with the highest level of educational advantage prefer to send their children to one of the highest rated public schools in the State.

Read: Bardon Property Market Continues to Deliver High Capital Growth Rates

Created by the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA), ICSEA serves as a comprehensive evaluation of social factors, including family background and parents’ education level. It’s worth noting that it does not describe or reflect the wealth of parents of students in particular.

Other than the parents’ education and occupation, ICSEA is also being calculated based on the school’s geographical location and the proportion of indigenous students. A higher ICSEA means the greater advantage the school has. In the case of Rainworth State School, it was named more ‘educationally advantaged’ compared to the majority of schools in Australia.

Photo credit: https://apps.des.qld.gov.au

Rainworth State School’s ICSEA score is 1224, higher than the average which is 1,000. Around 87% of the school’s families come from the top socio-educational quartile.

It’s not surprising that those with the highest educational attainment or highest socio-economic status choose Rainworth State School. It’s a highly rated primary school in Bardon, having been named as the third highest-performing primary school in Queensland based on the latest NAPLAN results.

Established in 1928, the school’s vision is to “provide a holistic approach to childhood development” whilst also focusing on helping children reach their full academic potential.

“Great school grounds, I’ve read a lot about the state primary schools in Brisbane to ascertain where to send my kids and Rainworth school is the best one to send them to,”
-Elizabeth Yi

“Rainworth has taught me a lot about myself and how I can improve as a person. All the teachers have given me an amazing 6 years and I have no idea how to repay them. Becoming school captain last year made me feel a part of the school and being able to help the new children and just giving them a hand when they really needed it. Rainworth is the most amazing school because all the people are so inclusive and the teacher gives you a proper chance to learn. thank you to Rainworth i am the best version of myself.”
-Anna Roads

Rainworth State School, Among Brisbane School Catchments With Highest House Price Growth

House prices in some Brisbane school catchments, including Bardon’s Rainworth State School, have surged by almost 30 percent over a 12-month period, the latest report says.

The latest Domain School Zones Report, which measures median prices within school catchments over the past 12 months, noted that in a majority of both primary and secondary school catchments, prices have surged higher compared to their respective suburb, and that families are placing more weight on secondary school placement.

As a result, 72 per cent of secondary school zones across Greater Brisbane saw a price growth. Primary school catchments also did well, although slightly lower with a 61 per cent rise. Still, when speaking of overall performance, secondary school catchments outperformed primary school zones.

Rainworth State School has claimed the 3rd spot among Brisbane’s top 10 schools for house price growth, soaring by 27.8 per cent to $1.15 million. Residents find Bardon an ideal place for families given that it is home to great secondary schools as well as primary schools, and that it is only 10 minutes to the city.

Brisbane’s top 10 school zones for house price growth according to Domain School Zones Report are as follows:

School Level	School Name	School Suburb	Median Sale Price	Annual Change
Primary	Bald Hills State School	Bald Hills	$675,000	29.2%
Primary	Wynnum West State School	Wynnum West	$547,500	28.8%
Primary	Rainworth State School	Bardon	$1,150,000	27.8%
Primary	Ipswich Central State School	Ipswich	$365,000	27.0%
Primary	Cannon Hill State School	Cannon Hill	$755,000	25.8%
Primary	Tingalpa State School	Tingalpa	$675,000	25.6%
Primary	Marsden State School	Marsden	$342,000	23.9%
Secondary	Flagstone State Community College	Jimboomba	$471,000	23.9%
Primary	Morayfield State School	Morayfield	$382,250	23.9%
Primary	Aspley State School	Aspley	$776,500	23.3%

Source: Domain Group. Median sale price is based on 12 months of data to October.

Furthermore, prices on some secondary school catchment zones have risen nine times faster than that of prices in Greater Brisbane, Domain senior research analyst Dr Nicola Powell said. She also said that the figures show how much families place importance on education, regardless of the price point.

Bald Hills State School took the top spot with prices rising by 29.2 per cent over the same period to $675,000. However, the top performing secondary school catchment was Rochedale State High School, where median prices surged by 20.5 per cent to $750,000.

Rainworth State School Now on the Queensland Heritage List

Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au

Rainworth State School, one of the leading primary schools in Bardon, has been entered in the Queensland Heritage Register.

Inscribed in the heritage register on 21 August 2019, the school was classified as a State Heritage site for its significance in the following criteria:

demonstrating the evolution or pattern of Queensland’s history
demonstrating the principal characteristics of a Queensland state school of the Depression-era
strong association with past and present pupils, parents, staff members, and the surrounding community through sustained use since its establishment in a rapidly developing residential area in 1928.

Block C, north elevation (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

During the 1930s, the Queensland Government launched building and relief work programmes that provided work for men unemployed as a result of the Great Depression. The school’s Brick School Building, retaining wall with stairs, and the levelling of parts of the school grounds for a playing field and tennis courts were the results of these relief work programmes.

Tennis courts at Rainworth State School (Photo Credit: apps.des.qld.gov.au)

Until today, the original timber building in the school is still being used and currently houses eight classrooms. A complete refurbishment of all the existing buildings was done in the 1980s.

Rainworth State School History

In 1928, Rainworth State School opened with only 238 students and five teachers. It was built on land purchased by the Department of Public Instruction from a farmer named Robert Finnick to accommodate the need for a new school in the area.

Back then, the school had an easier access to pupils. It helped relieve overcrowding at schools in surrounding areas and served Rainworth, Rosehill and Soudan localities, and parts of Birdwood Terrace, Upper Paddington, and Bardon.

Fast-forward to present day, the primary school now has twice the number of students since it opened. As of 2017, there were a total of 549 children enrolled at Rainworth State School. It is located 4.2km west of Brisbane CBD and currently accepts Prep Year to Year 6 students.

The school is considered among Queensland’s top school catchments. Rainworth State School landed on the top spot of Better Education’s best public primary school in Brisbane for 2018.

Rainworth State School: Among Top Primary Schools Based on 2019 NAPLAN Results

Rainworth State School is among the top performing primary schools based on the released NAPLAN 2019 Preliminary Results.

Rainworth State School follows top-ranking St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School in Ascot. Ashgrove State School, Ashgrove; St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School, Corinda; and Indooroopilly State School, Indooroopilly round out the top five.

NAPLAN 2019 Outcomes for Rainworth State School

Year 3	READ	WRITE	SPELL	GP	NMCY
Average Score	554	459	459	551	459
% of students at or above NMS	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Year 5	READ	WRITE	SPELL	GP	NMCY
Average Score	598	523	549	613	558
% of students at or above NMS	100%	100%	100%	100%	100%

Source: NAPLAN 2019 data from Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority

It is not at all surprising to see Rainworth State School ranking among the best primary schools in Queensland. Based on Good Education Group’s website showing Rainworth State School’s NAPLAN results from 2014 – 2017, the Bardon-based primary school has consistently done well, scoring well above the national average, in all areas: Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar, and Numeracy.

The Concerning 2019 Preliminary NAPLAN Writing Results

ACARA noted that NAPLAN results in writing for 2019 have revealed a “pleasing improvement” from last year, especially that there was a noticeable decline in recent years across all year levels.

“Schools have been making focused efforts for some time to address concerns about their students’ writing. Students are to be congratulated for this year’s improvement, especially Year 3 students, where the results are particularly encouraging,” ACARA CEO David de Carvalho said.

*Photo credit: State of Queensland (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) / qcaa.qld.edu.au*

Despite the improvement in writing results, comparison of performance in writing by state and territory reveals that Queensland Year 9 students are the second least performing, just a step above the Northern Territory students, with only 77.6 percent of the cohorts meeting or above the national minimum standard. The Qld average is 5.3 percentage points lower than the national average of 82.9 percent.

Moreover, the percentage of Qld students at or above the NMS in Years 3, 5, and 7 also fell below the national average, with the gap increasing with each year.

NAPLAN 2019 achievement of Qld and Australia Year 3,5, and 7 students in writing:

Qld Year 3 – 96.3%, Australia – 96.9%; difference 0.6
Qld Year 5 – 91.2%, Australia – 93.1% ; difference 1.9
Qld Year 7 – 86.8%, Australia – 89.8% ; difference 3.0
Qld Year 9 – 77.6%, Australia – 82.9% ; difference 5.3

Still, Education Minister Grace Grace lauded the preliminary results, stating that Queensland students continue to perform well in many key areas.

“This year’s results continue to confirm Queensland as one of the most improved states since testing began in 2008,” Ms Grace said.

“It is great to see our students improving in 17 of 20 NAPLAN test areas against National Minimum Standard, Mean Scale Score and Upper two Bands.”

“After more than 10 years, it’s time for a comprehensive national review of NAPLAN to ensure it remains current and responsive to changes in education,” she said.

“Queensland is still proud to be the star performer when it comes to NAPLAN.”

Rainworth State School, Bardon: Among QLD’s Top School Catchments

Rather than enrolling their children in a private school, an increasing number of parents are willing to spend a bit more for homes in Brisbane’s most sought-after school catchments, such as the top-ranked Rainworth State School in Bardon.

Rainworth State School recently took the top spot as Brisbane’s best public primary school in 2018, as revealed by Better Education, and interstate home buyers don’t seem to mind paying a premium for a home that is within the popular school catchments, such as this one in Bardon.

Good schooling is one of the primary considerations for parents of school-aged children looking to buy a new home, and is one of the primary drivers for Brisbane dwelling demands, industry experts say.

Queensland School Catchment Map

*Photo Credit: Queensland Government / qgso.qld.gov.au*

In the last 12 months, house median sale price in Bardon rose 9.47 percent, and 12.55 percent for units median price, according to CoreLogic. As for market demand, there have been 965 visits per property compared to QLD average of 386, according to realestate.com.au data from 1 January to 31 December 2018.

Rounding out the 2018 top 10 public primary schools in Brisbane: MacGregor State School, Ashgrove State School, Ironside State School, Wishart State School, Indooroopilly State School, Sunnybank Hills State School, Chapel Hill State School, Graceville State School, and Robertson State School.

On the other hand, the 2018 top Brisbane state high schools is led by Brisbane State High School, followed by Mansfield State High School, Indooroopilly State High School, Cavendish Road State High School, Mount Gravatt State High School, Kelvin Grove State College, The Gap State High School, Kenmore State High School, Brisbane School of Distance Education, and Stretton State College.

Bardon’s Rainworth State School’s One-to-One Laptop Program for Year 4 Students & Above Draws Concerns From Parents

Photo credit: https://eatdrinkandbekerry.blogspot.com/

Parents in Bardon’s Rainworth State School are being asked to pay $1,200 for laptops for their kids. Programs requiring students to bring their own tablets and laptops have been implemented over the past two years, with the Queensland Education Department leaving it up to each school to implement their own school policy on the matter.

Parents Relay Their Concerns

At Rainworth State School, students in Year 4 and above will now be required to have individual laptops; however, some parents have been quick to express lingering concerns on this development. According to some, there has been little consultation with parents about the program. Others are concerned that children, having their own laptops, may spend most of their time online. Concerns about effects on children’s cognitive development have been raised as well.

It seems that the school hasn’t addressed all of the details yet, as parents have plenty of questions and concerns. Some of them include what would happen if the laptops broke, got lost or stolen.

The School Responds

The school has responded to the issue through their newsletter, which acknowledged that the laptop program did not kick off well. They said that they will be setting up opportunities for further consultation.

Since the school has received mixed feedback about the one-to-one laptop program that is to be implemented next year, with some on-board whilst others not, they are considering a Pilot Program with an option for parents to opt-in. The Pilot Program, which comes with a participation fee, includes laptop devices, full software, and three years’ worth of insurance and tech support.

Education Queensland, which firmly supports learning in the digital age, has provided a framework for schools under the BYOx (Bring Your Own) device initiative.

The same issue was raised two years ago when Milton State School started implementing their own BYOx program. Many parents were concerned about the cost that this entails and the possible effects of having their children own a digital device. It looks like this educational evolvement, despite the digital age, still remains a hot topic for parents all across Queensland.

Discussion with the school community is ongoing.