This progress report of the Better and Fairer Schools Agreements (2025–2034) outlines achievements in the first 12 months. At the centre of the national plan are clear targets for lifting student outcomes and strengthening the education workforce across three key areas. This report presents reform progress against the targets for all state and territory jurisdictions.

The report provides a detailed snapshot of foundation skills proficiency – literacy, numeracy and digital capability – among Australian adults who engage with government-funded programs and vocational education and training, with a particular focus on four priority groups: women, First Nations people, people from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds, and people living with disability.

The commentaries highlight Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN results for 2025, nationally and by selected subgroups. Girls continue to outperform boys in literacy and boys continue to outperform girls in numeracy at all year levels. Higher levels of parental education and occupation continue to be associated with higher NAPLAN performance in all domains.

The paper underlines the importance of developing early number sense in children, with advice and exercises for both parents and teachers. Children's trajectories in mathematics are shaped early and the development of early number sense will reap benefits in later schooling and adult life.

This research explored the relationship between foundation skill learners’ characteristics and outcomes, and how foundation skills programs contribute to learners’ vocational education and training (VET) outcomes, employment and further study. It found that students enrolled in foundation skills alongside another VET program were more likely to complete their VET program.