SEAL public high schools give private secondaries a run for their money

You don’t have to pay a packet for a top class education. Here are the public high schools outshining some costly privates, with special programs for promising students. SEE THE LIST

Partially selective state schools are outperforming a host of leading private schools, research shows.

Victoria has 46 high schools offering SEAL (Selected Entry Accelerated Learning) programs, some of which admit students from outside their catchments.

This allows high achievers a chance at top-level educations at schools such as Albert Park College, Balwyn High, Auburn High, Glen Eira Secondary College and Brighton Secondary College.

Analysis by Melissa Tham of Victoria University shows the state’s four fully selective schools – Suzanne Cory High, Nossal High, Melbourne High and MacRobertson High – top Victoria in academic marks. Such schools’ NAPLAN scores are nearly twice as high as rivals.

But the four partially selective schools in the sample offering the SEAL program are the next best performers, close to the marks achieved at independent schools.

SEAL is a streamlined program for gifted students, teaching years 7, 8, 9 and 10 in three years, giving students more flexibility by the time they enter their VCE years.

These schools are performing better than non-Catholic independent schools in years 7 and 9 numeracy and reading, and year 9 writing. Independent schools scored higher for year 7 writing, Dr Tham, from the Centre for International Research on Education Systems, found.

“The purpose of all government schools, which ­includes fully, partially and non-selective schools, is to offer equal opportunity for all students to pursue academic excellence,” Dr Tham said.

“While academically selected students do well, it can come at a cost to non-selective schools, which lose their highest achievers.

“Selective schools and academic selection stratifies school systems, leaving the lowest performing students, often from the poorest families, behind.”

Albert Park College offers Selected Entry Accelerated Learning. Picture: Facebook

Top academically performing SEAL schools ­according to NAPLAN scores include Albert Park College, Auburn High, Box Hill High, Dandenong High, Lyndale Secondary College, Mordialloc College, Werribee Secondary College and Reservoir High School.

Bellarine Secondary College is a top regional NAPLAN performer from 2017 (year 7) to 2019 (year 9) writing, with a score of 55.

Independent schools tend to have higher median VCE scores, however.

Albert Park College principal Steven Cook said his school took 50 SEAL students a year from within its geographical zone.

“There is real academic rigour in the program which offers fast-paced extension and enrichment and student leadership opportunities,” he said.

“We’re getting great ­results from our SEAL students, which had a median VCE score of 36 last year.”

The school had a median VCE score of 31 overall.

While a number of SEAL schools have completed their application process for 2022, many of the city colleges will conduct enrolment processes in the coming months.

Students obtain a place in the programs after sitting a general aptitude test. Primary teacher evaluations, parent questionnaires and interviews are also taken into account.

Albert Park College students Millie, 14, Angel, 13, Joe, 14 and Lachlan, 13. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

VCE rankings: Suburbs where public schools outperform private

TOP PERFORMING SEAL SCHOOLS

NAPLAN results for 2017-19 for children in years seven to nine

Albert Park College Numeracy: 64

Auburn High Reading 61, Numeracy: 59

Box Hill High Reading 58, Numeracy: 55

Dandenong High Reading: 60

Lyndale Secondary College Writing: 59

Mordialloc College Writing: 57

Reservoir High Numeracy: 58

University High Reading: 59

Werribee Secondary College Writing 60, Numeracy: 59

Bellarine Secondary College: Writing 55

Source: myschool.edu.au

FULL LIST OF SEAL SCHOOLS

METRO

• Albert Park College

• Auburn High

• Balwyn High

• Bayswater Secondary College

• Box Hill High

• Brighton Secondary College

• Brunswick Secondary College

• Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College

• Dandenong High

• Emerald Secondary College

• Fairhills High School

• Footscray High

• Gladstone Park Secondary College

• Glen Eira Secondary College

• Gleneagles Secondary College

• Kambrya College

• Keilor Downs Secondary College

• Lyndale Secondary College

• Mill Park Secondary College

• Mordialloc College

• Mount Erin Secondary College

• Pascoe Vale Girls’ College

• Reservoir High

• Springside West Secondary College

• Staughton College

• St Albans Secondary College

• University High

• Victoria University Secondary College

• Werribee Secondary College

• Williamstown High

REGIONAL

• Bellarine Secondary College

• Belmont High

• Chaffey Secondary College

• Horsham College

• Lilydale High

• Matthew Flinders Girls’ Secondary College

• McGuire College

• Mount Clear College

• Rosebud College

• Sale College

• Trafalgar High

• Wangaratta High

• Warrnambool College

• Wonthaggi Secondary College

Source: The Academy of SEAL Accredited Schools

[e-mail]

Originally published as SEAL public high schools give private secondaries a run for their money