Smith’s Hill High School was again the Illawarra’s best performing school in the HSC.
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The Wollongong-based selective high school actually improved on its 2017 results substantially, jumping 31 spots in 2018 to be the 49th best-performed school in NSW.
But it was nearby Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts that had the biggest jump, rocketing 69 spots to be the state’s 145th best performed school.
In the process WHSPA overtook The Illawarra Grammar School (TIGS) as the Illawarra’s second best performing school in this year’s HSC.
TIGS matched its 2017 placing to be ranked 149th in 2018.
St Mary Star of the Sea College was the fourth-best Illawarra school in the 2018 HSC, ranked 157th in NSW.
Shellharbour Anglican College was one of the region’s biggest improvers this year, jumping from 420 in 2017 to be ranked 273 in 2018.
WHSPA relieving principal Bryce O’Connor said the school community was “over the moon” with their HSC results.
“Wow, we were nearly speechless when we saw those results. That’s blown us out of the water,” Mr O’Connor told the Mercury.
“From a school point of view we are so over the moon.
“We are so proud of our teachers and our students, because it is a collective effort among all of them.
“A big congratulations also has to go to [students] parents who had to put up with them during their HSC. I guarantee that's not an easy job. Well done.”
The school’s impressive HSC campaign included 82 band 6 (distinguished achievers) results and 225 band 5 results.
“That’s ginormous,” Mr O’Connor said. “We actually had five of our students record four band 6’s each. That is a phenomenal effort.”
Smith’s Hill finished with 73 distinguished achievers, eight all-rounders and two top achievers.
School principal David Deitz added several of its 2018 HSC students completed some HSC courses as accelerants in 2017.
“Of these, an additional three students have achieved results in the top band possible for at least 10 units of HSC courses,” he said.
Illawarra’s top performing schools in the 2018 HSC:
1: Smith’s Hill High School
2: Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts
3: The Illawarra Grammar School
4: St Mary Star of the Sea College