Measuring our success
Our Plan for NSW Public Education sets ambitious goals to enhance student outcomes, support our staff, and strengthen the education system. To track our progress, we have established a suite of success measures.
Download our success measures
Success measures
Our success measures were developed in 2024 through extensive consultation, ensuring they were informed by the most recent data and aligned with system priorities. Each target is designed to be both ambitious and achievable, driving meaningful improvement across NSW public education.
As this work evolves, additional success measures, including targets for equity cohorts, will be released in 2025 to further track progress and ensure all students and staff are supported.
Student success measures
Increase the proportion of primary students reporting a sense of belonging.
Why this measure matters
A strong sense of belonging enhances student attendance, engagement, and learning outcomes. Strengthening connections in primary school lays the foundation for long-term success. We will be finalising a measure once sufficient results are available.
Data source: Internal department survey
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the proportion of secondary students reporting a sense of belonging.
Why this measure matters
A strong sense of belonging improves attendance, engagement, learning outcomes, and retention to Year 12, setting students up for future success. We will be finalising a measure once sufficient results are available.
Data source: Internal department survey
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the average NAPLAN scores in reading and numeracy by:
- 10.2 points for Year 5 reading between 2023/24 and 2027
- 5.8 points for Year 9 reading between 2023/24 and 2027
- 11.5 points for Year 5 numeracy between 2023/24 and 2027
- 5.7 points for Year 9 numeracy between 2023/24 and 2027
Why this measure matters
Reading and numeracy are key indicators of educational progress. This measure focuses on the learning improvement of all students.
Data source: ACARA (Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority)
Data frequency: Annual
Deliver 100 new public preschools by Day 1 Term 1 2027.
Why this measure matters
Participation in high-quality early childhood education for 3 to 5 year olds leads to positive lifelong outcomes across a range of health and wellbeing indicators. The Government is committed to building 100 new preschools at new and existing primary schools. These preschools will deliver high-quality, play based preschool programs. This will ensure children are supported to develop the cognitive, social and emotional skills that will help them successfully transition from preschool to kindergarten.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Quarterly
Increase the proportion of NSW students attaining Yr 12, from 70.5% in 2022 to 74% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
This measure focuses on students completing Year 12 and attaining their HSC. We acknowledge that while RoGS applies to the entire state of NSW, Our Plan specifically focuses on students within the public education system.
Data source: RoGS (Report on Government Services)
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the uptake of university, training or work for school leavers from 88.1% in 2023 to 92% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
Increasing the proportion of school leavers in university, training, or work ensures more young people are supported in their transition to tertiary education and/or employment, setting them up for long-term success.
Data source: Internal department survey
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the average student attendance rate from 87.8% in 2023 to 88.8% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
The attendance rate is the percentage of days students attended school, compared to the number of days they are enrolled. Consistently going to school has countless benefits for our students - from learning to creating social connections and improving wellbeing through access to support and quality education.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Staff success measures
Deliver a reduction of at least five hours of teachers’ administrative work per week by 2027.
Why this measure matters
Reducing administrative workload allows teachers to focus on student learning, improves wellbeing, and supports teacher retention by addressing one of the key drivers of burnout. It also reinforces trust and respect for the profession by valuing teacher’s time and expertise.
For teachers, a saving of five hours per week equates to a total saving of over 300,000 hours across the system.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Quarterly
Reduce the permanent teacher vacancy rate from 3.5% in 2023 to an annual rolling average of 2% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
Ensuring a qualified teacher leads every classroom supports student success by providing learning continuity, stability, and high-quality learning experiences. By increasing the number of permanent positions, we aim to foster a stable and supportive learning environment for all students.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Reduce the annual resignation rate of permanent teachers from 3.8% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
Reducing the annual resignation rate of permanent teachers is crucial for maintaining educational quality and stability. Lowering resignation rates enhances student learning and fosters a stable school community.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the number of new teaching graduate commencements by 10% from 2024 to 2027.
Why this measure matters
Increasing the number of new teaching graduate commencements is essential for building a robust and dynamic educational workforce. Having a steady pipeline of talent ensures that public schools benefit from innovative teaching practices and sustained educational excellence.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Increase the sense of wellbeing of our public school staff from 48% in 2023 to 59% in 2027.
- Increase the sense of wellbeing of our teachers from 41% in 2023 to 55% in 2027.
- Increase the sense of wellbeing of our school support staff from 66% in 2023 to 72% in 2027.
Why this measure matters
Enhancing staff wellbeing benefits individuals and also strengthens the entire educational community. Prioritising wellbeing leads to improved job satisfaction, increased retention, and better performance. When educators feel supported, they can create positive learning environments, directly contributing to student success.
Data source: Internal department survey
Data frequency: Annual
System success measures
Increase the enrolment share of NSW public schools from 62.9% in 2023 to 65.5% in 2034.
Why this measure matters
Increasing NSW public school enrolments is good for everyone. A comprehensive public education system means that students from all backgrounds build strong educational foundations. High-quality public education underpins a fair society and economic prosperity in NSW.
Data source: Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) Schools Table 43a
Data frequency: Annual
Enabler success measures
Complete 31 primary and high school projects, including 8 new schools and 23 school upgrades by Day 1 Term 1 2027.
Why this measure matters
Delivering new and upgraded schools ensures that educational infrastructure meets the needs of NSW's growing population. This investment provides modern learning environments that support student success.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Improve the reactive school maintenance completion time and efficiency from average close-out time of 16.3 days in 2022/23 to 5 working days in 2027/28.
Why this measure matters
Improving the average completion time for reactive school maintenance ensures that facilities are promptly repaired, providing students and staff with safe and functional learning environments.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Annual
Achieve and maintain a customer satisfaction (CSAT) score across internal support services of 80% by 2027, whilst expanding the scope of enterprise service management and streamlining our channels.
Why this measure matters
Efficient and accessible support services help schools operate smoothly, allowing educators to focus on student learning. Achieving and maintaining an 80% customer satisfaction score ensures continuous improvement and responsiveness to school needs.
Data source: Internal department database
Data frequency: Quarterly
Equity
We are committed to ensuring all learners and staff have access to equitable outcomes, opportunities and experiences. We are developing targeted measures for 5 priority student cohorts and 3 staff equity groups to track progress and drive improvements for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, students with disability, students in rural and remote areas, students from low socio-educational backgrounds, and students who speak English as an additional language or dialect.
Reporting
Success measures will be reported on in the department’s annual report, released in Term 4. Information on student outcomes in NSW public schools is publicly available throughout the year through multiple sources, including My School, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and CESE websites.
Our system success measures reflect our collective efforts to improve education outcomes across NSW, they are not the responsibility of individual schools. While school improvement measures focus on individual school progress, our system-level success measures provide a broader view of statewide progress.
If you have any questions regarding our success measures, please OurPlan@det.nsw.edu.au or complete Our Plan feedback form.