2020 VCE Results

Following an extraordinary year, dominated by Coronavirus, lockdowns and restrictions in every aspect of our lives, it is my great pleasure to share with you news of our VCE results for 2020. Given that our Year 12 students spent a significant proportion of the year learning remotely, with classes on ZOOM and work set online, we were not really sure what to expect this year. While we were proud of the efforts and work ethic demonstrated by our students, and the calm and professional way that they approached their examinations, none of us could predict how their experiences this year would impact on their results. Nor were we certain how the special consideration provisions offered to many students across the State would work. It is therefore with a great deal of pride that I congratulate our Class of 2020 for their outstanding VCE results last year. All 172 of our students who completed the year satisfactorily, met the requirements of the VCE and we are very proud of them all. Their results are impressive by any standards – given the conditions of the year, they are extraordinary. Three of our students achieved a perfect score of 99.95. Twenty-three students (13%) achieved an ATAR of 99 or better, placing them in the top one per cent of the State. Fifty-six students (33%) achieved a rank of 95 or better, while 51% of our students achieved a score of 90 or better, placing them in the top ten per cent of the State. Ninety-seven percent of our students were in the top 50% of the State. Our median ATAR score was 90.65. These results, so similar to last year’s, are extraordinary, and are a great credit to our students and their teachers, who worked so closely with them, delivering their programs in new and innovative ways. I congratulate them all. There were seven perfect study scores across a range of subjects: Chemistry, English Language, English (3), Mathematical Methods and Visual Communication Design. Twenty-one per cent of all study scores were 40 or higher, which given that we tend to do the more ‘difficult’ VCE subjects, is also an excellent result. This year the Duces of our School are Tory Crosgrove, Jamie Garnham, and Ryan Tam, all of whom scored 99.95 – the highest possible score. Our Proxime Accesserunt was Matthew Wu, who scored 99.90. All four boys were actively involved in the full life of the School (although their opportunities were severely curtailed this year!) and they worked very hard at their studies.

Tory Crosgrove participated in a wide range of curricular and co-curricular activities, and was awarded Full Colours in Debating. He was also involved in British Parliamentary Debating. He was a House Prefect in Steven House, and helped to organise the House’s Debating and House Music involvement. He played Tennis and Hockey for the School and was a member of the School Choir. He won Academic prizes for English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Mathematics. Tory scored 50 in English Language, 47 in Biology, 44 in French, 43 in Chemistry and 43 in Specialist Mathematics. In addition, he scored 47 for Mathematical Methods whilst in Year 11.

Jamie Garnham also undertook a wide range of activities during his time at School. In 2020, he was appointed Captain of Macneil House and was also awarded Full Colours for Debating. He played trumpet in the Concert Band, was Vice President of

our Rotary Interact Club, played soccer and basketball for the School and was a keen member of our early morning running group. Jamie received numerous Academic prizes and was also awarded a special prize in 2020 for Outstanding Service to the School. Jamie scored 49 in English, 49 in Chemistry, 48 in French, 44 in Latin and 44 in Specialist Mathematics. In Year 11, Jamie scored 42 in Classical Studies.

Ryan Tam joined our community in 2017, when he was in Year 9. He was an exceptionally dedicated Scholar throughout his time at School, most clearly recognised with the award of School prizes for English Language, Chemistry, Physics and Excellence in Mathematics in 2020. Ryan scored 50 in Chemistry, 47 in English Language, 46 in Physics, 43 in Specialist Mathematics and a maximum score for University Enhanced Mathematics. In Year 11, Ryan scored 48 for Mathematical Methods. Ryan sang in our School choir, helped our with our Da Vinci decathlon team and represented Camberwell in Volleyball and Fencing. Matthew Wu was appointed Captain of Derham House in 2020 and remained heavily involved in the School’s Music Program throughout his time at School, receiving Full Colours. Matthew scored 47 in English, 46 in Legal Studies, 45 in Specialist Mathematics, 38 in Chemistry and 37 in Latin. In Year 11, Matthew scored 47 in Music Performance and 41 in Mathematical Methods. Matthew holds an AMusA in viola, an LMusA in piano and played with many ensembles and orchestras over the years. He was also an active member of our Rotary Interact Club. A further nineteen students earned scores of 99 or better. These boys also studied a wide range of subjects and actively involved themselves in the life of the School: Thomas Bowers, Arman Cakmakcioglu, Rhys Campbell, Hongyi Chen, Daniel Duong, Kaelan Fraser, Christopher Golz, Haotian Huang, Nhan Anh Le, Matthew Lim, Hao Liu, Emmanuel Marcus, William Murray, Thomas Ng, Aidan Oh, Jack Schwenk, Yijie Song, Philip Wang, Yixu Wang. As always, we need to remember that the ATAR is a ranking device, and by definition, not everyone can be at the top. I am equally proud of those students whose scores will not make it into newspaper reports or league tables, but who achieved a score which represents their very best efforts. No score on its own can reveal the story behind a student’s year – and particularly this year. Some of our students faced significant issues throughout 2020, and nevertheless did the very best they could. We should celebrate their achievements as much as we celebrate those of the boys with the top scores. I am very proud of all of our students who did their best, no matter their score. Indeed, one of the results I am most proud of, is a student who attained a 24 in English against considerable odds – and that score will be sufficient to give him entry into his first preference course. His ATAR score did what it needed to do – it got him into the course of his choice, and I am delighted for him. All students tried their best given their ability and the realities of their lives. ATAR numbers will soon be forgotten. But the lessons learned at School, the resilience developed during the course of this year, and the values and skills learned here, will last forever.

I congratulate those of our students who have done well, I commiserate with those who may be feeling disappointed, but I encourage both groups to keep these results in perspective. This is just one day in a long journey still to come. And as we have all learned this year, we cannot predict which way the road ahead will turn. I would like once more to publicly acknowledge our remarkable teaching staff who helped our students to achieve these wonderful results. I am not sure that the wider community fully understands the lengths they went to this year to provide learning to our students. Our teachers had to rethink completely the way they delivered material to students, the way that they monitored student progress, and the way they provided feedback. They had to develop skills in online teaching, making and editing videos and keeping in contact with students who spent a significant proportion of the year learning from home. I know that our teachers are very proud of their students, and I am very proud of them. I also congratulate and thank our parents, who have encouraged their sons by supporting them through the ups and downs of an extraordinary VCE year. Congratulations once more to the Class of 2020 on their outstanding results. It is pleasing to see that their hard work has been rewarded so generously.

Headmaster