Clayfield College’s big drop in top OP scores revealed

STILL reeling from last week’s controversial report accusing its governing body of mismanaging funds, one of the state’s most prestigious private schools has recorded one of the biggest drops in top OPs in Queensland in 2017.

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NOTE: The Press Council has partially upheld a complaint by Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association. Read the full adjudication here.

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EMBATTLED Clayfield College has suffered another blow after recording one of the biggest drops in top OP scores in Queensland in 2017.

The college, which lost 100 students in a year and is at the centre of a management controversy with its church governing body, dropped from scoring 22 OPs between 1-5 in 2016 to 13 in 2017 – the second lowest improvement level for schools with more than 10 OP eligible students in the state.

Only Concordia Lutheran College had a bigger fall in OP improvement rates, after dropping from 17 OPs between 1-5 to 7.

The Lakes College went from 7 to 4 while Maryborough State High School went from 5 to 1.

Clayfield principal Kathy Bishop said every Year 12 cohort had different outcomes.

“While our 2016 cohort achieved highly, we acknowledge the 2017 girls for their achievements,” she said.

“We congratulate our 2017 Year 12 students on the results achieved for Overall Positions, Core Skills, Diploma courses, VET qualifications, Queensland Certificate of Education, and 100 per cent first round QTAC offers.

“A number does not define a student and our Clayfield College young women have so many more attributes and skills.”

Clayfield College principal Kathy Bishop each Year 12 cohort had different outcomes and an OP “number doesn’t define a student”.

The shock result comes after The Courier-Mail revealed last week that the Presbyterian and Methodist Schools Association – which runs Clayfield College – had been accused of using sister school Somerville House as a cash cow.

​Forensic accounts analysis compiled by Anthony Moore has alleged in a controversial report that the PMSA had mismanaged funds “to make public the possibility that Clayfield College is not a going concern … may drive a continuing cycle of reduced enrolments requiring cost reductions”.

Concordia Lutheran College could not be reached for comment.

Data provided by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority. Schools with fewer than 10 OP eligible students were excluded from the statistics.