The Preshil School in Melbourne’s east does not usually believe in marks, but it’s making an exception to laud its International Baccalaureate students.
The small cohort of IB graduates at the private school in Kew received their final results on Tuesday. They were among 823 students in 26 schools across Victoria to complete the internationally recognised program.
Preshil students Stella Holmes à Court and Manny Anasson, who each got perfect International Baccalaureate scores.Credit: Simon Schluter
The International Baccalaureate no longer publishes data on individual schools’ performances in its exams in an effort to “discourage the use of assessment results for comparisons among students, schools, or communities”.
Preshil’s approach to learning is similar in that – outside of VCE and IB results – it gives children feedback in lieu of marks or scores.
Principal Aaron Mackinnon said the school wanted to avoid children feeling “pigeon-holed” and ranked against each other.
But he said he’s come around to the idea that IB marks were “a moment-in-time score that celebrates something far bigger than that”.
“It is a very hard, competitive piece to achieve what they’ve achieved, and we’re proud of them for that,” Mackinnon said of the school’s top students.
“We’re also conscious that what they’ve achieved is actually the culmination of an experience for them.”
The IB program runs over two years with students’ work externally assessed through a mix of exams and school-based assessments. Students also complete a 4000-word research essay and a 100-hour subject on the theory of knowledge, as well as participating in creative, sporting and service activities.
Preshil had 23 IB graduates this year and between them, they were awarded 19 perfect subject scores.
Two students – couple Stella Holmes à Court and Manny Anasson – came away with a perfect score of 45, which translated to an ATAR of 99.95.
They have known each other since Year 2, but only got together about three months before exams.
Holmes à Court, the daughter of businessman and political activist Simon Holmes à Court, said the program allowed her to focus on creative pursuits alongside her academics.
The 18-year-old was the only student in Preshil’s Year 12 German class after the school organised a language teacher for her.
On top of the compulsory English and maths, Holmes à Court also studied high-level computer science, psychology and music. She plays the cello and guitar, and sings.
“I was very surprised [by my results]. I was very happy. I jumped and screamed, and my whole family was there, which was really lovely. I was just in shock, really,” Holmes à Court said.
She received an early-entry offer from the Australian National University to do a double degree in law and arts in Canberra, where she planned to live on campus.
Anasson, 19, is eyeing a similar path, expecting to take up a double degree in law, along with politics, philosophy and economics at the same university. He studied English, maths, French, history, physics and computer science through the IB.
The pair used an app to compare the amount of time they each spent studying, which Anasson said was up to eight hours daily during exam periods, or two to three hours before and after school.
“There’s a bit of competition there, and we’re able to motivate each other,” Anasson said.
“Because it’s an international curriculum, it helped me be a bit more globally minded and learn about events and ideas that are occurring all over the world.
“It’s really made me, not just a better person in an academic sense, but much more resilient and disciplined.
“It’s important going in beforehand to know that it’s not going to be a breeze.”
The Methodist Ladies’ College, also in Kew, had 58 students complete the IB this year. One received a perfect 45 score, while three others recorded 44.
MLC IB graduate Bianca McMurtrie achieved an ATAR of about 80 and said she was proud of her achievement in the “rigorous” program.
The 18-year-old said she most loved IB’s charitable elements. A school trip to an orphanage in Thailand last year inspired her go back in January for an 800-kilometre charity bike ride.
“I knew I wanted to help. So, throughout Year 12, I spent my time fundraising as a part of the IB and for the bike ride,” McMurtrie said.
Carey Baptist Grammar School said 87 per cent of its students in the IB program achieved a score equivalent to an ATAR of 80 or above.
IB dux Taran Qiu received a perfect score of 45, again translating to a 99.95 ATAR.
“I was pleasantly surprised by my result and was happy to see that all my hard work had paid off. I’m hoping to study medicine next year,” Qiu said.
More than 3000 Australian students received their IB results this week, an increase of about 7 per cent on 2023.
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