From an empty greenfield site in Gungahlin to a thriving independent school that is filled to capacity, Burgmann Anglican School has shot up remarkably in just 15 years.
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It has also shot up the league tables of school performance based on the latest National Assessment Program for Literacy and Numeracy posted on this week's updated My School website.
According to The Canberra Times league tables of school performance, Burgmann has leapfrogged the more established independent Anglican school Radford College to post some of the best results across reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy in year 7. It has improved its NAPLAN performance across all other year levels when 2012 results are compared with 2011.
While the school's principal, Steven Bowers, cautioned against any comparison of school results through the My School website, warning NAPLAN results were just a ''small snapshot of school performance'', he said Burgmann's literacy and numeracy achievement had been pleasing and followed strong performance in previous years.
He attributed the school's popularity in drawing students not only from Gungahlin but right across the city to its commitment to ''all-round'' education of students through academic, pastoral, spiritual and co-curricular offerings.
Burgmann was operating at near capacity with 1500 students and while it had a few places at year 11 and 12 level, it was full in the junior school.
''We have seen extraordinary growth rates,'' Mr Bowers said.
He described the school's low-fee regime as providing ''accessible'' Anglican education.
Fees range from $5000 to $7800 through kindergarten to year 12.
Mr Bowers attributed the school's success to its teachers and staff who focused on all students as individuals.
''Our focus has always been on more than just academic achievement,'' he said.
He believed there was too much pressure and publicity surrounding NAPLAN results and that the literacy and numeracy learning was ''just a part, but certainly not all, of what students need to take with them from school''.
