Penleigh and Essendon Grammar, Lowther Hall best in the west

Melbourne’s best schools in the west have been revealed based on 2020’s Year 12 VCE results. See how your school ranked.

Students in Melbourne’s west have trumped their peers at some of Victoria’s top private schools after scoring impressive Year 12 results. Picture: Kris Reichl

Five schools in Melbourne’s west have been ranked among the state’s top schools in a year where public schools outclassed many of Victoria’s top private campuses.

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar in Keilor East and Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar topped the list of the west’s best schools after Year 12 students at both campuses scored a median study score of 35, according to an analysis of last year’s VCE results.

The median study score — measured out of 50 — shows how the entire class performed in their final year.

Suzanne Cory High School in Werribee was one of five select entry public schools to rank among the best in the state, with students earning a median study score of 34.

It tied with Westbourne Grammar in Truganina as the second best school in the west, which also recorded a median score of 34.

St Columba’s College in Essendon ranked among the state’s top 50 schools after scoring a median study score of 33.

Tarneit’s Islamic College of Melbourne, Werribee Secondary College, Mount St Joseph Girls’ College, Williamstown High School, OneSchool Global in Melton West, Keilor Downs College, St Alban’s Secondary College, Buckley Park College, St Bernard’s College, Ave Maria College, Mount Alexander College and Strathmore Secondary College also achieved impressive results with median study scores of 30 or above.

Suzanne Cory high School is a government funded select-entry school in Werribee.

There were a total 18 public schools in the top 100 for VCE in 2020 — almost a fifth of the most successful campuses.

That number was down slightly on 2019, when 21 public schools made the top spots.

Bialik College in Hawthorn, Mount Scopus Memorial College in Burwood and Ballarat Clarendon College were the top three schools across the state in 2020.

Bialik College principal Jeremy Stowe-Lindner said he was thrilled the non-selective school was the best in the state with a median score of 38.

“We have a graduation cohort which we call Menschlich, which is a Yiddish term which means decent and active in the community as well as hard working,” he said.

“We know the greatest achievers are those who don’t lock themselves in a room but do good things.”

Here are Melbourne’s school results for the west in 2020, based on VCE class median study score and percentage of scores 40 and above.

SCHOOL DATA

School Median VCE study score % of study scores of 40 and over

WYNDHAM

Hoppers Crossing Sec College 29 4.1

The Grange P-12 College 24 1.6

Point Cook Senior Secondary College 28 2.7

Good News Lutheran College 26 0.8

Islamic College of Melbourne 30 5.8

Tarneit Senior College 24 1.3

Thomas Carr College 26 2.4

Al-Taqwa College 27 3.1

Westbourne Grammar School 34 15.4

Heathdale Christian College 29 4.3

MacKillop Catholic Regional College 29 2.9

Suzanne Cory High School 34 19

Werribee Secondary College 30 5.6

Wyndham Central Secondary College 24 2.2

Wyndham Community Centre n/a n/a

MARIBYRNONG

Braybrook College 31 9.4

Caroline Chisholm Catholic Coll 28 4

Footscray High School 28 3.4

Victoria University Polytechnic 20 2.4

Maribyrnong Sec College 29 4.5

HOBSONS BAY

Altona College 29 0

Emmanuel College 29 3.8

Mount St Joseph Girls’ College 31 8.6

Laverton P-12 College 22 0.7

Bayside P-12 College 29 4

Williamstown High School 31 10.9

MELTON

Melton Christian College 26 0.6

Australian International Academy 27 0

Catholic Regional College (Caroline Springs) n/a n/a

Lakeview Senior College 28 5.1

Southern Cross Grammar 29 6.4

Springside West Secondary College 26 0

Catholic Regional College (Melton) 28 2

Djerriwarrh Emp. & Edu. Service n/a n/a

Kurunjang Secondary College 25 1.7

Melton Christian College 26 0.6

Melton Secondary College 26 4.7

OneSchool Global 31 5.4

Staughton College 27 3.1

BRIMBANK

Copperfield College 27 2.2

Essendon Keilor College 24 1.2

Keilor Downs College 30 4.3

Overnewton Anglican Community College 31 7.3

Penleigh and Essendon Grammar 35 23

St Albans Secondary College 30 7.7

Victoria University Secondary College 28 5

Marian College Sunshine 28 2.8

Sunshine College 27 2

MOONEE VALLEY

Buckley Park College 30 7.3

Essendon Keilor College 24 1.2

Lowther Hall Anglican 35 21.1

Penleigh & Essendon Grammar 35 23

St Bernard’s College 30 6

St Columba’s College 33 13.1

Rosehill Secondary College 29 2.8

Ave Maria College 32 9.1

Mount Alexander 7-12 College 31 3.8

Penleigh & Essendon Grammar 35 23

Strathmore Secondary College 30 5.3