Wesley College achieves its best ATAR results in 15 years!

Posted December 17, 2018 in Academics, School News By Community Relations

There is a well-known saying: ‘a rising tide lifts all boats’. That certainly comes to mind as we celebrate Wesley College’s best ATAR results in 15 years, with a median score of 88.7.

It’s not just an achievement on behalf of each individual – it marks the effort of an entire year group to support and push each other towards success.

With 73.4% of students earning an ATAR of 80+ (including 45.3% who earned an ATAR of 90+) there are countless stories of students who have gone above and beyond. However, the eight newest members of our ‘99% Club’ deserve a special mention:

  • Christopher Buchanan 99.85
  • Aryan Puri 99.8
  • Rupert Kang 99.7
  • Noah Tarrant 99.35
  • Tyler Clement 99.3
  • Jack Anderson 99.25
  • Jevon Houden 99.25
  • Jack Jordon 99.2

So what made this year special?

Simply, we challenged the boys to give themselves an edge by doing the little things well. The teachers laid out the framework, but the boys took the responsibility to nudge and nurture each other in every lesson, every day. The whole cohort has been dedicated to their learning and willing to put in the time required to achieve their goals.

The habits of diligence and persistence are important for success, in all pursuits. Excellence does not come easily; it is an attitude, a habit or a skill, the result of striving to do better, the refusal to accept mediocrity, and its price is discipline, time, commitment, effort, and persistence.

Results are more than statistics (but here are the statistics!)

Median 99+ 90+ 80+ 70+
2018 88.7 6.3 45.3 73.4 83.6
2017 84.9 3.2 34.7 66.1 83.9
2016 80.9 4.3 23.6 52.9 71.4
2015 79.4 1.2 25.3 48.1 71.0
2014 83.4 10.3 37.1 60.8 79.4

We know that academic and broader success looks different for everyone, and our job is to help each student (at every schooling level) reach for his or her own personal best.

Behind many of the statistics is the story of a boy who has overcome adversity, strived for continuous improvement and embodied the Wesley motto of ‘By daring and by doing’. Their education is much more than a single four digit number.

Building upon a message from a previous Captain of College, the boys were challenged to ‘dare to be your best self’ this year. An aspect of that was having kindness and courage. Many of the boys have clearly taken those words to heart.

The College does not mandate courses. Children are allowed to make their own choices about study pathways. They may try and fail, but they will be supported (and held accountable for their effort and application). Some schools are so worried about how their results will look in the league tables rankings that they don’t allow kids the freedom to stretch themselves and possibly fail, yet it is an important part of a child’s growing accountability and resilience.

In conclusion

In the coming weeks there will be internal analysis of the results and reflection around how they were achieved. However, what is already known is that we are very proud of the efforts of our teaching staff and the achievement of our students. They have done an incredible job and we warmly congratulate them!

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