With the school year ending, thousands of students received their Australia Tertiary Admission Ranking, ATAR, last week.
After a year of notes and practice exam papers, 51,214 students who completed their Victorian Certificate of Education, VCE, graduated, with more than 21,000 graduates receiving study scores of 40 or higher and more than 650 receiving the maximum study score of 50.
Joining the students are 6387 VCE Vocational Major graduates – the first group to have benefited from a range of options now available in VCE.
Five students at Assumption College Kilmore achieved an ATAR over 90, with Daniel Bell awarded the school’s DUX, achieving an ATAR of 97.35.
Another 13 students achieved scores in the 80s, with just under a quarter of students receiving an ATAR over 70.
Over the past six years, the college has increased the percentage of students who received an ATAR of 50 and above, from about 62 per cent in 2017 to 72 per cent in 2023.
Outgoing principal Kate Fogarty said the school prided themselves in catering to a full spectrum of goals students and their families have.
“If students are seeking a very high ATAR or a particular score to take up a tertiary offer, we can absolutely support them to achieve that goal,” she said.
“So too, we help bring forth capable young women and men who are passionate about apprenticeships, the world of work and other forms of study.
“We’re so proud of them all, whatever their chosen pathway.”
Wallan Secondary College DUX was Paul Glendenning, who reached an ATAR of 94.9.
The year 12 student also won the Australian Defence Force 2023 Long Tan award, which acknowledges leadership behaviours and attributes within young people.
Wallan Secondary College senior school leading teacher Stevie Martin said this year’s VCE results reflected the diverse talents of the students.
“Whether it be in the arts, sports, or science, these individuals have showcased a well-rounded approach to education,” he said.
Meanwhile at Broadford Secondary College, Erin Edwards secured the school’s DUX with an ATAR of 88.8, while some students received study scores of 40.
Principal Tania Pearson said the school was supportive of helping students choose their career pathways.
“When the course offerings come out, it’s always an exciting time for students,” she said.
“If they need help, we’ve got our careers pathway manager available for them to come in if they want to change their preferences.
“If they don’t get their initial ATAR and into the course that they want to, there’s always ways around that, like we can always take a sideways step before trying again, the following year.”
In Doreen, Plenty Valley Christian College, PVCC, had 14 per cent of students receive an ATAR over 90 – higher than previous years.
The 2023 VCE students achieved an increase average of 72.5 – bucking the statewide trend that saw a downturn in average ATAR to 69.
Forty per cent of PVCC students reached an ATAR over 80, while there was a 25 per cent increase in a number of students with 40-plus study scores compared to last year.
PVCC DUX Chloe Funston, with an ATAR of 95.75, said she was excited her result would help her achieve her goal of studying biomedicine at The University of Melbourne.
She studied five subjects this year, including English, maths methods, specialist maths, chemistry, French and completed VCE VET music in year 11.
The final year for Chloe consisted of hard work, and on-going support from her family, but also taking breaks such as playing basketball and the school’s production.
The 17-year-old advised students wanting similar outcomes to do the same.
“I think it’s obviously really important to make time for study, but I would say you can’t just study and do nothing else, you need to find time for other things to balance your mental health as well,” she said.
