By Cassandra Morgan and Craig Butt
Year 11 student Meenakshi Deepak saw the past year of her life through the lens of her VCE biology class.
When her parents caught a cold, she drew on her knowledge of the nature of illnesses and how the body fights them, and explained the processes they were going through.
Meenakshi Deepak finished year 11 at Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School with an almost perfect 48 in VCE biology.Credit: Jason South
“If I went and did a workout, I could link it back to cellular respiration,” Meenakshi said.
“We did a lot of collaborative, interactive activities in class. We had little laminated cutouts of bacteria, and we would be looking at how bacteria can be used for insulin production and for gene-editing technology.
“It was really nice to go on that journey of loving the subject and loving the content, even though it was difficult. I learned it didn’t have to be mutually exclusive.”
The VCE is usually completed over two years, with students taking high-level subjects – so-called unit three and four courses – in year 12, but students at some schools can elect to start their VCE studies early.
Some subjects allow students to skip ahead to year 12-level work and forgo earlier study units.
Meenakshi, 17, decided to complete two VCE subjects in year 11 – biology and mathematical methods – to lighten her subject load for her final year, a common practice among younger students at her school.
The Mac.Robertson Girls’ High School student scored an almost perfect 48 in biology, which will go towards her final results in year 12 next year.
Mac.Robertson produced the most students in Victoria with a VCE biology score of 40 or above this year, with 49 students reaching that top tier.
English, biology, psychology, mathematical methods and business management were among the most popular subjects in the VCE this year.
Data about what schools had the most high performers does not account for schools’ varied populations and subject enrolment numbers. Some students also do not allow their scores to be publicly recorded, which may alter results.
Mac.Robertson principal Sue Harrap said the key to its VCE success was the collaboration between students and staff.
“This year we had six classes of biology, and four teachers. The teachers worked in a close-knit team to support each other so they could provide learning that extends and enriches our students at their point of need,” Harrap said.
“An interesting point of note is that 103 of the 129 students who studied unit three and four biology were year 11 students.
“For most, this would be their first foray into the rigours of unit three and four, and they want to give it their best shot.”
It was also the first dip into advanced subjects for 16-year-old Melbourne High student Tyler Whitmarsh, who was among his school’s top performers in psychology, with a score of 40.
Melbourne High had the most high-performing VCE psychology students of any school in Victoria, with 26 scoring 40 or above. It also took out the No.1 spot for mathematical methods, with 83 students achieving high scores in that subject.
Tyler, who plans to study law after he graduates, will do five rather than six VCE subjects next year after his success in psychology in year 11.
He said most students should do a unit three and four subject in year 11 because it would help with how they approached their study the following year.
Melbourne High principal Tony Mordini said the school was fortunate to have a cohort of capable and aspirational students, and staff worked hard to maintain a conducive learning environment and invest in students’ wellbeing.
“I’m incredibly proud of the staff and students who have worked so hard together to achieve these results,” Mordini said.
Haileybury Girls College had the highest number of students with scores of at least 40 in VCE English, with 108 students.
Top VCE English performer Charli Cowan.Credit: Joe Armao
Year 12 graduate Charli Cowan, 18, led the high achievers, attaining a perfect score of 50.
She said she was “honestly ecstatic” when she found out her results.
“I had been aiming high for English and when I saw the 50, I was almost in disbelief. Getting a 50 in English is so ridiculously hard, and it just felt like all the countless hours of hard work had all paid off,” she said.
Cowan most enjoyed studying protest as part of the English course’s creative unit, and said students who wanted to aim for a perfect VCE score should go the extra mile.
“We were constantly revisiting old protests, but then looking at the new protests like the Land Forces expo one … [and] the underlying reason for these people protesting, and how does their action alienate [and disconnect] them from the rest of Victoria,” Cowan said.
“Even if my teacher had set no homework, I was constantly refining my writing and asking her for additional readings, and expanding my vocabularies throughout the year.”
Mentone Grammar School recorded 46 students with scores of 40 or more in VCE business management, which was the most of any school in the state for that course.
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