VCE results: East Loddon, Ballarat, Newhaven, Hamilton, Gippsland students celebrate
Results are out. ATARs delivered. Time to celebrate high-achieving students and schools from regional and rural Victoria.
Regional and rural students, and schools, are among those celebrating outstanding VCE achievements, and breathing a sigh of relief that the past two years of Covid disruption are finally over.
Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings were released Thursday, with 50,723 students graduating with their VCE while 14,066 students will complete VCAL.
A high-achieving group of 14,000 VCE students received at least one study score of 40 or more, out of a maximum score 50.
Formal announcements from regional and rural schools are rolling in.
All Year 12 students deserve kudos, especially those at one tiny rural school that has battled demographic shifts and prolonged drought, and has come out on top.
EAST LODDON P-12 COLLEGE
In the middle of a hot, windy harvest week in their broadacre cropping region, students at East Loddon P-12 College woke on Thursday to the news they had achieved the best VCE results in the school’s history.
With a top ATAR of 99.3 and five students scoring in the 90s, the tiny rural school north of Bendigo achieved an average ATAR of 82. The score eclipsed its strong 2019 and 2020 results.
Prinipal Steve Leed said he was “overcome with admiration for the students” and was “stoked” that all their hard work had paid off.
Dux Zekie Johns scored an exceptional 99.3, the highest the school has ever received.
She plans to study a Bachelor of Medical Science and a Doctor of Medicine at Monash University Clayton.
Zekie achieved impressive study scores of 43 in chemistry, 42 in english, 40 in specialist maths and 39 in maths methods, and (completed in 2020) 48 in psychology and 44 in biology.
School captain Ben Collins scored 93.8 and hopes to study veterinary or agricultural science.
School captian Bridget Baker achieved 93.1 and has received an early entrance offer to study a Bachelor of Paramedicine-Nursing at Australian Catholic Uni in Ballarat.
Jasmin Gallagher scored 92.7 and plans to study a double degree in Law and Economics-Finance at RMIT.
Oscar Hocking scored 92.1 and plans to study a Bachelor of Civil Engineering with Honours at Deakin in Geelong.
Victoria Biggs received a Youthrive Scholarship for community leadership, commitment to rural and regional industries and her desire to make a contribution to society.
Jack Demeo achieved an impressive 42 study score in agriculture and horticulture and Alicia Hay scored 40 in health and human development.
East Loddon P-12 serves the farming communities of Dingee, Mitiamo, Raywood and Serpentine.
Senior sub-school leader Sarah Byrne said the students had worked incredibly hard.
“It was no secret they were a talented group, but their tenacity, work ethic and desire to achieve the best results they could was what stood out with this group,” she said.
BALLARAT CLARENDON COLLEGE
Ballarat Clarendon College achieved a median ATAR of 91 and median study score of 37.
The result is just below its 2020 median study score of 38, and slightly shy of 39, which it recorded in 2019 to earn the top spot as Victoria’s highest VCE school that year.
This year:
• 11 students achieved an ATAR above 99
• 15 per cent achieved above 98
• 30 per cent, or 48 students, attained above 95
• 83 per cent, or 131 students, achieved above 80
Smythesdale’s Georgia Atkinson is one of the 131 students who scored higher than 80.
The 18-year-old equestrian enthusiast received 84.6, which she said wasn’t as high as she had hoped.
The strong score still puts her in the top 20 per cent of Year 12s across the nation.
“Initially I was a little bit disappointed, but I realised it was quite a decent result,” said Georgia, who this week changed her uni preferences, hoping to be accepted to study a bachelor of agriculture at the University of Melbourne.
“I think there is a really big future with sustainable agriculture, I’m hoping to do a masters in geography as well,” she said.
Georgia said it “feels really good” to have certainty about her future plans, especially after all the Covid disruption.
“I did find the school side of things quite difficult, just to keep motivated … the whole year was challenging. By prioritising my physical and mental health I was able to get the result I needed to.”
She took part in as many equestrian eventing competitions as she could, as a way to ease the stresses of study.
“I just wanted to maintain balance throughout Year 12,” she said. “I didn’t want to spend the year just studying, so competed more than I had ever done before.”
Ballarat Clarendon 2021 dux Jackson Dun received a 99.95, with a perfect score of 50 in further mathematics last year, and 50s in English language and chemistry this year.
While completing Year 12, the young man from Ballarat also studied a first-year university course in mathematics at the University of Melbourne, hoping to study a bachelor of science there next year.
NEWHAVEN COLLEGE
Newhaven College principal Tony Corr was “thrilled” to announce 19.4 per cent of the Phillip Island school’s VCE students scored above 90.
It was the largest number of students to hit that mark in the school’s history, he said, and the first time it achieved a median study score above 31.
• Nearly 40 per cent placed in the top 20 per cent, with a score above 80
• 50 per cent scored in the top 25 per cent, with scores above 75
“Despite the most challenging of VCE years our Year 12s have performed exceptionally well,” Mr Corr said.
“They have demonstrated resilience, effort and good humour in all they have done, and their excellent VCE results are a reflection of this.”
Newhaven College dux Holly van der Pligt scored a remarkable 99.1, placing her in the top 1 per cent of Victoria with a perfect study score of 50 in environmental science.
The school’s proxime, Lyra Hackett, received 97.7.
Other high achieving students with ATAR scores above 90 were Max Pick, Kristina Christos, Alexandra Dhar, MacKinley Thompson, Harry Jobe, Helena Leonardos, Georgia Adams, Sunny Lumsden, Chelsea Allen, Charlotte Brewis and Callum Chisholm.
THE GEELONG COLLEGE
With 142 VCE students, The Geelong College achieved a median ATAR of 81.75.
• More than 33 per cent scored above 90
• Six students scored above 99
Dux Edison Hang scored 99.80.
“When I saw the score, I was really excited, especially about my English results, I wasn’t expecting a 41,” he said.
Edison is an international student from Yangzhou, China, who has boarded at the school since Year 10. Due to border closures, he has not been able to return home to see his family for the past two years.
“Even though it was hard because I wasn’t able to go home for the past two years, I’m grateful for the support of my teachers, tutors and especially my host family, the Hopes,” he said.
“Mr Gilby, the head of boys boarding, has been like a father to me, caring for me every day throughout my whole time here.
“This kindness changed my attitude towards Australia, it made me love it so much more than I ever thought I would.”
Edison excelled in mathematics, physics, chemistry, economics and English, and was a house and boarding prefect. He hopes to study maths and specialist sciences at the University of Melbourne.
Skye Ellis was The Geelong College proxime accessit, with an ATAR of 99.70.
“I was very surprised when I woke up this morning, but pleasantly surprised,” Skye said.
An outstanding distance runner and school prefect, Skye has been accepted to Northwestern University in Chicago, in the US, on a cross country scholarship and will study biomedical engineering.
“I’m leaving in August, and I can’t wait to work with the team and all their incredible facilities and see what I can achieve both in running and in academics,” she said.
Three of the school’s top 10 VCE achievers are international boarding students who had remained in Australia for the past two years, separated from their families overseas due to Covid travel restrictions.
The Geelong College principal Dr Peter Miller said the results were a testament to students’ hard work and commitment.
“We are so proud of what has been achieved by all of our Year 12 students over the past two years,” he said. “I would like to offer special congratulations to our dux Edison Hang, who has worked incredibly hard and lived away from his family for two years. He has been so positive and committed to achieving his goals, he is an inspiration to many.”
GIPPSLAND GRAMMAR
• 21 per cent of Gippsland Grammar students achieved an ATAR above 90
• 38 per cent above 80
Gippsland Grammar 2021 dux Demi Edward gained an ATAR of 99.2.
Demi is from Traralgon and wants to study medicine at Monash University.
She was hoping to hit an ATAR in the mid 90s, she said, but was “shocked” when she found out she had topped 99.
“I have been having dreams about my results for weeks,” said Demi, who joined the school in Year 9 after her family moved to Traralgon from the UK.
“I didn’t want to set myself up for failure so made sure my expectations were conservative.”
The year of lockdowns had been tough, with each one like starting “from scratch”, according to Demi.
“Teachers and all staff, especially Mr Howard my chemistry teacher, were amazing,” she said. “Always available to help, this was especially evident during lockdowns, always going over and beyond, staying in touch, to make sure we were okay.”
Gippsland Grammar’s VCE high achievers also include Jack Burton, from Bairnsdale, with an ATAR of 99; Hannah Ng, also from Bairnsdale, with an ATAR of 98.8; Sale’s Connor Hare with 98.05; Sale’s Sarah Beyer with 97.35; Newmerella’s Josh Mekken with 95.95 and William Hall, from Wy Yung, with an ATAR of 95.7.
Two students achieved a perfect study score of 50; Sarah Beyer in chemistry and Sarah Husodo in biology.
HAMILTON AND ALEXANDRA COLLEGE
Students and staff at The Hamilton and Alexandra College celebrated the end of the tumultuous year, with the school achieving a median ATAR of 75.65.
Despite extreme challenges, including some boarding students from South Australia separated from their families for months on end due to border restrictions, the Year 12s performed well.
• 10 per cent scored above 90
• 27 per cent scored above 85
• 40 per cent of cohort scored above 80
• 50 per cent scored above 75
Hamilton and Alexandra 2021 dux Milo Cooper achieved 98.15, and said he felt “relief” when he received the results.
“It felt great to know that I would get into my chosen course and that now I could relax and enjoy the summer ahead,” he said.
Milo plans to study a bachelor of science at University of Melbourne, and a masters in engineering. He will join Ormond College next year, after working as a lifeguard in Hamilton during the summer and volunteer coaching for the college’s rowing club.
He said he was glad to end the challenging year on a high.
“I wouldn’t say that I have enjoyed the twists and turns of Covid, but I found ways to maximise remote learning and focus on my individual learning. It was important to change up my learning styles to keep motivated and my teachers were always available for questions and additional support,” he said.
Boarding student Alyssa Hocking also felt “relief” when she learnt she had earnt 92.75.
“Surprise, too,” said the 17-year-old.
“I was definitely hoping to crack the 90s, but it was pretty cool to get that ATAR in a hard year.”
For Alyssa, one of the hardest parts of Year 12 was being separated from family.
Border restrictions made it impossible for Alyssa to travel home to her family’s farm at Lucindale, in South Australia, for an entire term, adding stress to an already taxing year for the school vice-captain.
“That isolation from family was pretty hard at times,” she said. “It was really good how many families opened their homes to have me stay on weekends.
“I still had a really good year, despite having the cross-border dilemma.”
Now home, and working at the Naracoorte saleyards for the summer, Alyssa hopes to be accepted to a vet science degree at Charles Sturt University at Wagga Wagga next year.
MELBOURNE GRAMMAR SCHOOL
City boarding school Melbourne Grammar School has achieved a median ATAR of 90.05.
Of the 17 students who scored 99 or higher, three were boarding students.
• 10.6 per cent achieved an ATAR above 99
• 30.7 per cent achieved above 95
• 50.3 per cent achieved above 90
• Seven boarding students achieved 95 or above
Romsey’s Sam Brockhoff was one of the seven, with an ATAR of 95.4.
The 18-year-old boarding student said he was “stoked” about the result.
“All the stress just left my body,” Sam said. “Even during the exam period, I wasn’t that stressed. It was more so the tension of the last few days, as we got closer to receiving the rsults ... it really built up.
“It’s gone now.”
He said support that he received from tutors and his peers in the boarding house helped him maximise his academic potential of the past three years. Sam joined the school in Year 10.
He hopes to study commerce at University of Melbourne.
“I think I’m pretty prepared now,” he said. “I think Covid has made me quite resilient, as well as the boarding house and moving between home and Melbourne.”
Headmaster Philip Grutzner said the success of all the Year 12 students was testament to their talent, determination and hard work.
“There is no question that 2021 has been a year of challenges,” he said. “Through flexibility, ingenuity and positivity, our students have adapted to a changing learning environment. We know these qualities will stand them in good stead, whatever their future holds. I am very proud of the achievements of the Class of 2021 and wish every student the very best for the years ahead.”
Share more outstanding VCE results from rural and regional schools and students: Email camille.smith@news.com.au
Seaspray school recruiting drive falls short
A push to secure enough enrolments to have Seaspray Primary School open again has been unsuccessful. See the latest.
New Spelling Bee champs crowned
After over 70,000 student registrations, three riveting rounds and every state and territory in Australia joining the hive, it’s time to meet the national champions of the 2024 PM’s Spelling Bee.