WA’s top-performing high schools revealed as students don’t let pandemic hold them back

Presbyterian Ladies’ College fell six places to 11 with 89.20. Previously the girls’ school jumped an impressive 15 places from 20 in 2018 to fifth in 2019 with 90.75.

However, it was year 12 students from WA’s only academically selective public school, Perth Modern, who took out the state’s top scholastic achievement for the fifth year in a row.

The co-educational Subiaco school recorded a median ATAR of 97.55, compared to the state’s median of 81.65.

The class of 2020 also broke another state record, with 72 of the 243-strong cohort attaining an ATAR of 99 or higher.

Perth Modern principal Lois Joll said she was incredibly proud of the “extraordinary” results.

As a public school without the resources of the most expensive private schools, Ms Joll said her best resource was talented teachers and the school’s wellbeing program, which supported the students to be engaged in academics as well as the school.

It was the only public school to make the top 10.

Shenton College, which previously had been the other public school to place in the top 10, dropped to 14th place with 88.60. It was the top non-selective public school on the leaderboard.

However, a win for public education saw two schools enter the top 50 leaderboard for the first time. Comet Bay College placed 35, while Butler College came in at 39.

Five all-girls schools padded out this year’s top 10.

St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls climbed from 8th to second, Penhros College jumped from 11th to fourth, Methodist Ladies’ College climbed one spot from six to five, St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School was seventh, down from number four, and Santa Maria College camein at 10, up from 14th.

As the highest-ranked non-selective school, St Hilda’s Principal Fiona Johnston said she was incredibly proud of the students’ progress, with the 2020 cohort to be long remembered for living through a global pandemic.

“However, academic results should not be the only factor in determining a good school,” she said.

“The wellbeing of the students, co-curricular activities and allowing girls to follow their passions, ultimately leads to a healthy mind and success in the classroom.”

Ms Johnston said a number of St Hilda’s students were offered early entry university placements before their final exams, but this did not deter their work ethic.

“We are proud of our graduates and know that whichever path they choose, they are all capable of extraordinary things,” she said.

A first was achieved this year for the state’s top country school, Our Lady of Mercy College, which achieved 27th spot in its first year operating.

Principal Rob Crothers said as a new school everything was a first, which meant it was a year of working very hard, especially including building a sense of community in such unprecedented times.

“We think that the ATAR rankings sit very comfortably with the achievements of our other students who have done the general pathways and VET qualifications because they’ve done exceptionally well also,” he said.

Mr Crothers said the result set the bar for the future of the school.

“With COVID and being a new school we feel the kids have really embraced life in all of its dimensions, they’ve shown resilience, they’ve shown determination, adaptability – they’re all characteristics we’d like to see in our students and they’ve matched it in what’s been quite a challenging year,” he said.