TOP OF THE STATE

GOLD Coast high school graduate Grace Kennett (pictured) has gone out on top.

The Somerset College alumni recorded the state’s highest score for the Queensland Core Skills test, covering literacy and numeracy.

She celebrated alongside fellow Somerset classmate Marc Eksteen. Both scored OP1s.

They were among just a few dozen students selected for prestigious Queensland Certificate of Education Awards as 2018 Year 12 results were released at the weekend.

“My parents sacrificed a lot for my education so I wanted to tell them first,” Miss Kennett said.

“Dad commutes from his work in NSW every week so we could go to school here.”

GOLD COAST schools are leading the way as some of the best in the state when it comes to Year 12 graduate results.

New data released by the Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority shows six of the Gold Coast’s high schools made the top 50 overall in Queensland.

More than 20 per cent of the 2552 OP-eligible students on the Gold Coast last year received a score in the top echelon – between 1 and 5.

Overall positions are graded from a level of 1 to 25, with 1 being the highest.

Somerset College, Southport State High School, Emmanuel College, Coomera Anglican College, All Saints Anglican School and Tamborine Mountain High School all saw more than 30 per cent of their OP-eligible students make the top bracket with an OP score ranging from 1-5.

Somerset College topped the Gold Coast overall with 38.46 per cent of students – a total of 40 – receiving an OP 1-5.

The school celebrated 10 OP 1 graduates in 2018, its highest number to date.

The Mudgeeraba college, which has prep class through to Year 12, was also home to the highest-performing NAPLAN results on the Gold Coast for both primary and high school last year.

Southport State High School was revealed to be the second-most successful school in the region, with 38.1 per cent of eligible students earning a score between 1 and 5.

The school is the highestachieving public school on the Gold Coast and the fifth-most successful in the state.

The school has consistently had a reputation as one of the most desired catchments on the Gold Coast, along with other high-performing public schools Tamborine Mountain State High (33.33 per cent), Varsity College (23.08 per cent) and Miami State High (22 per cent).

Seven public schools were ranked in the Gold Coast’s top

WE ARE OBVIOUSLY EXTREMELY PROUD OF THE STUDENTS AND THEIR ACHIEVEMENT AND VERY PLEASED FOR THE TEACHERS... SOMERSET COLLEGE HEADMASTER CRAIG BASSINGTHWAIGHTE

20 achievers.

Southport State High runs an academic excellence program for students receiving high marks in any of their four core subjects.

All Saints Anglican School had the highest total number of students within the top bracket, with 50 students out of the 143 eligible achieving the top OP marks of 1-5.

Varsity College had the highest number of public school students making it into the 1-5 bracket, with 24 in total.

Somerset College headmaster Craig Bassingthwaighte said he was very proud of both students and teachers.

“We are obviously extremely proud of the students and their achievement and very pleased for the teachers walking alongside them,” he said.

Mr Bassingthwaighte attributed the achievement to enthusiastic staff and the school’s International Baccalaureate program.

“I don’t think it is not a coincidence that since we introduced the IB programs across the college just about 15 years ago, that we are starting to see these incredibly consistent results coming through.”

The globally recognised program focuses learning on cognitive, social and emotional wellbeing alongside the Australian curriculum.

Greg Morgan, the head of senior secondary at Varsity College, said public schools were consistently achieving great results and should not be overlooked as academic leaders.

“Some of our students have gone on to achieve great results and secure academic scholarships, but it is also important we recognise the students who have been achieving in their chosen field,” he said. “It comes down to passionate teachers as the end of the day, what they are doing in front of the class rooms – not tuition fees.”

Gold Coast Christian College and Lutheran Ormeau Rivers School are not listed due to the small size of their OP-eligible cohort.

*Excludes schools with less than 10 OP-eligible students.

SOURCE: Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority Year 12 Outcomes 2018 report.