School Profile December 2021
Community Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) is an independent non-government school in Perth, Western Australia, catering for 1200 students from Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12. The School is an acknowledged leader in teaching and learning, including the integrated use of technology and the global orientation of its curriculum. PLC has a personalised approach to learning, understanding that each girl requires different conditions to realise her potential. Academic learning is supported by the School’s award-winning wellbeing programme. Co-curricular activities, including community service learning, are incorporated into strategies for building resilience in students. Well advanced in integrating inquiry and concept-based learning into its programmes, PLC has received an outstanding evaluation on its International Baccalaureate (IB) courses founded on these concepts. Excellence is further demonstrated with the School’s Year 12 results in the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) and Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR).
Curriculum PLC follows the Western Australian Curriculum, as well as the prestigious International Baccalaureate Programme. PLC is an IB School, offering the Primary Years and Diploma programmes. In Years 11 and 12, students may opt to study the globally recognised International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, or state-based examination courses, leading to the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE). Students may choose to undertake the WACE General Pathway and complete a Vocational Education Training Certificate course, alongside their WACE subjects.
Accreditation •
International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme and Diploma Programme
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Western Australian Government K-12
University Preparation •
International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB Diploma)
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Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) - Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) - Vocational Education Training (VET) Certificate
Subjects 26 IB Diploma standard and higher level subjects, including English, French, Spanish, Chinese, History, Global Politics, Geography, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, Theatre and Visual Arts. Over 120 course units for the WACE. 52 of which are offered at the highest stage, including English Literature, French, Chemistry, Physics, History, and Economics. 17 subjects are offered to students who select the General Pathway course of study.
Grading Students studying the IB Diploma are graded according to IB standards. Diploma students receive grades ranging from 7 to 1, with 7 being the highest (excellent) and 1 being the lowest (limited). The Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Extended Essay (EE) components are awarded individual grades and, collectively, can contribute up to three additional points towards the overall Diploma score. PLC does not rank students, but can provide an indicative place in the cohort. PLC does not determine GPA, but can provide a modified GPA using a 4.0 scale. Students enrolled in WACE ATAR courses are graded by the School Curriculum and Standards Authority, according to Western Australian Curriculum standards.
Results PLC has a strong record of preparing students for university study. It is consistently ranked in the top 10 schools for overall academic achievement within Western Australia. Working to ensure every girl achieves her best is the primary purpose of PLC teaching staff. We are incredibly proud of our 2021 cohort and we wish the students every success as they embark on their next journey. •
107 students undertook WACE studies. Of these students, 78 chose the ATAR pathway and 19 students a Vocational Education and Training pathway. The combined WACE/IB Median ATAR was 89.95 (*based on TISC ATAR conversion).
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23 students enrolled in the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
PLC students have consistently achieved ATAR results well above the state average for students in Western Australia (see Figure 1). Figure 1: PLC Median ATAR comparison to WA Median ATAR
WACE Snapshot Median ATAR 89.95* •
22.43 per cent of eligible students achieved an ATAR score or 95 or more.
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43 per cent of eligible students achieved an ATAR score of 90 or more.
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74 per cent of eligible students received an ATAR score over 80.
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Two students achieved perfect subject scores of 99 or higher.
IB Snapshot Median Score – 38/40 ATAR equivalent 99.15 •
100 per cent of IB students passed the IB Diploma at PLC. The world pass rate is 69.93 per cent.
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56 per cent of IB students achieved an ATAR equivalent of 95.45 or higher.
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74 per cent of IB students achieved at ATAR equivalent of 91.6 or higher.
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Four students achieved the maximum bonus points in the Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay. Only 10 per cent of IB students in the world achieve this.
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Level 7s were achieved in 20 courses (13 Higher Level and 7 Standard Level subjects).
Pathways to Tertiary Education Nursing, Commerce, Biomedical Science, Psychology and Communications were popular courses for the graduating Class of 2021. The University of Western Australia, Notre Dame and Curtin were the destinations for many of our graduates, with interstate and international travel difficult during the pandemic.
Class of 2021 Courses
Class of 2021 Destinations
Extra-curricular Opportunities Sport The School is a member of the Independent Girls School Sports Association (IGSSA), with teams entered throughout the year for each sport offered in the competition. Sports offered range from Athletics, Basketball, Cross Country, Hockey, Netball and Rowing to Soccer, Softball, Swimming, Tennis, Water Polo and Volleyball. An extensive range of Outdoor Education programmes and related opportunities are offered to all students in Years 7 to 12. These include a wide variety of activities such as Cycling, Indoor Climbing, Ju Jutsu, Pilates and Sailing, and whole year Outdoor Education programmes, to destinations including Ningaloo Reef and Karijini National Park, for all Lower Secondary School girls.
Performing, Creative and Visual Arts PLC students are encouraged to showcase their artistic talents through involvement in a wide range of high-quality productions and exhibitions annually. These range from musicals and art exhibitions, to drama productions and the presentation of a wide variety of dance genres.
Service Service Learning is an important and valued component of PLC life, connecting curriculum and classroom skills with a caring and concern students have for their world. These various programmes assist all students to combine classroom learning with meeting an authentic community need, and variously achieved through awareness raising, advocacy and /or direct action.
Exchanges and Tours PLC offers many opportunities for students to extend their interests, both in and outside School. For those wanting to explore the world, various tours and exchanges are offered in Australia and overseas. In 2019 PLC students were offered to undertake exchanges to China, France and the United Kingdom, enabling them to experience different cultures and for language students, to practice their speaking and comprehension skills. A variety of tours were also made available, and offering students cultural, sporting and service immersion experiences. In 2019 these included tours to Western Australia’s Kimberley region, the nation’s capital Canberra and further afield, Cambodia, China and Italy. Exchanges and Tours have been suspended in 2021 due to COVID-19 travel restrictions for Western Australian residents.
Clubs and Other Opportunities A host of other opportunities abound for students at PLC. This includes clubs for among other pursuits Art, Creative Writing, Equestrian and Electronics, Coding and the chance to participate in other exciting opportunities such as the Da Vinci Decathlon of Thinking, Academy Gifted and Talented Students Conferences and the Australian Computational Linguistics Olympiad.
Contact Information Presbyterian Ladies’ College 14 McNeil Street Peppermint Grove, WA, 6011 Phone: (+618) 9424 6444 Website: plc.wa.edu.au Principal, Ms Cate Begbie Phone: (+618) 9424 6411 Email: principal@plc.wa.edu.au