Three CEWA schools achieve 100% WACE
17 January 2018
Three Catholic colleges serving diverse communities were amongst only 14 schools across the state with 100 percent Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) achievement last year.
Kearnan College, located in the south-west town of Manjimup, was one of these schools, with all 25 Year 12 students achieving the WACE.
Twenty-four Kearnan College students successfully completed the requirements for Vocational Education and Training (VET) certificates. Seventeen students
also achieved the WACE through Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) courses.
The students’ efforts resulted in a median ATAR of 82.85 for the College, above the state median 77.5.
Kearnan College principal, Jason Meynell, said that the school community was very proud of their 2017 Year 12 students.
“These students achieved some excellent results, and provide evidence of some of the wonderful work done in regional education settings,” he said.
“Whilst sample size requirements preclude our College from being published in the median ATAR rank, for the last three years our students have achieved a median ATAR which would place in the top 50 schools. It is also wonderful that for two out of these three years, the College has been listed as a top performing school in the subject of English,
“These results not only reflect the hard work of teachers, students and parents, but also the thriving partnerships which underpin our College community,” he said.
Iona Presentation College, in Mosman Park, supported their full cohort of 149 Year 12 girls to achieve the WACE.
This accomplishment was accompanied by other impressive academic highlights for the College. With a median ATAR of 89.1, the College had the 14th highest median ATAR of any school in the state, while also being one of 20 WA schools attaining 100 percent VET achievement.
The academic results of 2017 reaffirm the College’s ongoing commitment to outstanding learning opportunities and outcomes, as it amalgamates with Iona Primary school for 2018. The amalgamation will help the transition from primary to secondary at Iona be an even smoother process for students.
Of the 14 schools with 100 percent WACE achievement for 2017, Sacred Heart College, a K-12 co-educational Catholic College in Sorrento, had the largest Year 12 cohort.
A total of 226 Sacred Heart students achieved the WACE; many met the WACE requirements through both VET and ATAR courses, with 111 students achieving a VET Certificate II or higher, and 155 achieving an ATAR.
Sacred Heart’s median ATAR of 86.5 was also a significant achievement, and one of the students was awarded with a General Exhibition Award by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority (SCSA).
Catholic Education Western Australia (CEWA) Acting Executive Director, Dr Debra Sayce, congratulated all 2017 WA Catholic school Year 12 students on their efforts, and said that she was thrilled that CEWA colleges had supported students to achieve their best.
“These three colleges deserve credit for providing environments, opportunities and challenges that have enabled each and every one of their students to finish Year 12 with their WACE,” she said.
“I acknowledge the commitment of all of our principals and staff to the development of their students in every area, including the chance to reach their personal academic best in their final year of school,
“There are many reasons that families choose a Catholic education for their children, and the academic data for 2017 reflects that excellent learning outcomes are a key motivation,” she said.
