At the beginning of 12 months 7 at selective Penrith High School, new college students’ strongest topics aren’t usually within the humanities.
“When they arrive right here, they’re good at maths and summary reasoning,” mentioned principal Jaclyn Cush.
Like different selective faculties, enrolment relies on the outcomes of a high-stakes entry check, which many college students spend months – or years – working towards for by drilling logic and numeracy observe questions.
HSC outcomes launched on Thursday present whereas Penrith High carried out nicely in arithmetic, it additionally made nice strides in English, serving to it leap greater than a dozen locations within the Herald’s league desk to the seventeenth spot this 12 months.
“I’m actually happy with the English outcomes,” mentioned Cush, who was the top English instructor earlier than being appointed principal.
“We don’t wish to be that conventional selective college the place college students simply research maths. We promote all topics, together with historic historical past, drama and English.”
Data additionally exhibits the proportion of scholars scoring above 90 per cent in superior and extension 1 English has doubled since 2019.
Cush mentioned she believed consistency of scholar effort was a giant issue when it got here to success.
“We regularly reinforce with our college students that the HSC is a marathon – it isn’t a dash,” she mentioned.
Students had a Google Drive the place they shared their highest work so others may see it.
“One of the expectations was, if they’ve good marks for a query, you share it with all people in that group. They spoke about that being a key to their success,” Cush mentioned.
The Herald’s HSC rankings knowledge relies on the proportion of scholars enrolled in HSC topics who obtain a mark of 90 per cent or extra. It doesn’t account for faculties that supply the International Baccalaureate, which has the potential to skew HSC efficiency.
An evaluation of the highest 150 faculties exhibits personal college Wollemi College, close to Penrith within the metropolis’s west, had the most important leap, leaping 138 locations to rank 139th.
The small college’s outcome was pushed by robust marks in arithmetic superior, whereas virtually 1 / 4 of its college students enrolled in biology achieved greater than 90 per cent.
In Sydney’s south-west, Georges River Grammar jumped 114 ranks, to position eighty fifth this 12 months.
It doubled the variety of band 6 outcomes it achieved in 2024 and improved 12 months on 12 months since a rating of just about three hundredth a number of years in the past.
“We have been seeing our outcomes slip – we needed to see that flip round,” principal Ben Haeusler mentioned.
That turnaround was aided by Haeusler chatting with employees about how college students may obtain educational excellence with out sacrificing the college’s conventional space of energy, which was psychological wellbeing.
“For us, it was about creating a brand new educational tradition. It was a perception that our children can do superb issues,” he mentioned.
“Our academics maintain excessive educational expectations and, with the precise assist in place, college students constantly rise to fulfill these expectations.
“We have additionally cultivated a extremely collaborative tradition the place college students be taught collectively, rejoice each other’s success and are supported by robust peer and employees relationships.”
This 12 months, its greatest topics have been arithmetic extension 2, English extension 1, drama, visible arts, enterprise research, historic historical past and economics.
Asquith Girls High School, in Sydney’s north, leapt 60 locations. The public complete will stop to exist after the federal government ordered or not it’s merged with its corresponding boys college regardless of mother and father opposing the transfer.
Private faculties Newington, St Andrew’s Cathedral School, Mercy Catholic College and Trinity Grammar additionally rocketed up greater than 50 locations within the rankings.
Newington principal Michael Parker mentioned the outcomes have been years within the making, with mentors and senior employees serving to college students refine research targets and inspiring them to take up extension programs.
“A extremely essential issue was the scholars’ sharing sources and dealing collaboratively, not competitively, for the entire 12 months and notably within the closing months,” he mentioned.
Outside of the highest 150, different powerhouse educational performances from this 12 months included St Peter’s Anglican College in Broulee on the NSW South Coast. The school jumped virtually 300 locations to rank a hundred and sixtieth.
In Sydney, partially selective college Alexandria Park Community School went from 464th final 12 months to 191st, whereas public complete Glenwood High, within the metropolis’s north-west, climbed 134 ranks to position 166th.
