WA’s top schools revealed based on highest-performing Year 12s in ATAR courses

Shenton College has been ranked the top school in the State, based on the number of ATAR subjects in which their Year 12s excelled last year. In a surprise result, the State’s biggest public high school pipped WA’s only fully academically-selective school, Perth Modern, to the number one spot. The West Australian analysed data released on Wednesday by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority to create a school ranking. The list is based on how frequently each school was named for its Year 12 students achieving top marks across individual subjects. Out of 89 schools that were recognised for having the highest-performing students in ATAR courses in 2024, a dozen had their names listed against 10 or more courses. Shenton College was recognised across a staggering 24 courses — more than half of the 46 listed. The subjects in which its students excelled included accounting, ancient and modern history, economics, biology, physics and all three mathematics courses — applications, methods and specialist. Perth Modern School — which requires students to score top marks on a stiff entry exam to even enrol — regularly leads school ranking lists year after year. But even though it produced last year’s best all-round student, Ethan Yap, who was awarded the Beazley Medal for topping the State in his exams, Perth Modern ranked second with 23 subjects. Elite Claremont boys’ school Christ Church Grammar School finished in third place, with students excelling across 20 courses. Two southern suburbs public schools — Rossmoyne and Willetton senior high schools — placed fourth and fifth, with 19 and 16 mentions respectively. Karrinyup private college St Mary’s Anglican Girls’ School dropped from second last year to finish equal sixth with St Hilda’s Anglican Girls’ School with 15 mentions each. Both schools charge more than $30,000 for Year 12 tuition. Wembley Downs boys’ college Hale School also made the top 10, in 8th place. Rounding out the top 10 with 11 mentions each were private girls’ school Methodist Ladies’ College and public schools Churchlands and Applecross senior high schools. SCSA identifies the schools excelling in each subject based on the percentage of students with scores in the top 15 per cent of all students studying that subject. SCSA executive director Juanita Healy said the table of schools with highest-performing students in Year 12 ATAR courses provided an opportunity for schools and their communities to celebrate the success of their students and teachers. “It acknowledges the excellent achievement of students in both their assessments completed at school and the ATAR course examination,” she said. Shenton is the State’s biggest public school with more than 2800 students. Out of the 336 Year 12s who completed four or more ATAR courses, around 60 were academically gifted students selected via an entry test. Shenton principal Mike Morgan said he was “extremely proud” of the students and their efforts. “It’s very nice to be recognised and for students’ success and excellence to be celebrated,” he said. “This acknowledges and celebrates the quality of teaching and reflective practice of the staff at Shenton College to support a child to achieve academic excellence.” But he stressed schools should not lose sight of the fact that academic achievement — while important — was just one aspect of individual student progress. “Achievement isn’t always measured in grades and marks,” Mr Morgan said. While most schools with frequent appearances in the table were city schools in advantaged areas, regional public school Eastern Goldfields College had a stellar year. The Kalgoorlie school finished with two mentions, in English and mathematics applications. “We are extremely proud of our students as we knew the effort they put into their studies,” principal Dan McCormack said. WA Secondary School Executives Association president Melissa Gillett said principals did not believe ranking schools based on performance was helpful. “School is about so much more than just the academic results,” she said. “The way that you get your kids the best results is for them to be happy and healthy, and if you’ve got that, then the results will come.” But she acknowledged that principals did look at which schools had excelled in particular subjects to see how they could improve their own results in that area. “So it’s more of a source of information — looking at the other schools simply so that you can keep developing your own school’s scores,” she said. To be included in the list, schools must have at least 10 students doing the course, which means some high-performing smaller schools miss out. The West devised the new form of school ranking two years ago after education authorities refused to release schools’ median ATAR scores, which previously formed the basis of school rankings in WA. SCSA decided it would no longer provide a top 50 list ranking schools on their median ATAR scores, partly because of concerns some schools were counselling students out of ATAR courses to improve their placement, contributing to a decline in students studying those more challenging subjects. But the data released this week also confirmed the downward trend has continued, with only 40.3 per cent of eligible Year 12s completing four or more ATAR exams last year, compared with 42 per cent in 2023. The final report from the State Government’s review of senior secondary pathways released late last year found the school system was too “ATAR-centric” — with too much focus on exams-based ATAR courses — and needed to be reframed to ensure it was “fit for purpose”. The review called for Year 12s to be given more flexible choices by expanding the type of courses that can count towards an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank in WA.