Following an extraordinary year, dominated by Coronavirus, lockdowns and restrictions in every aspect of our lives...where 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.
Therefore we congratulate our Class of 2020 for their outstanding VCE results this 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 this 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.
From our Headmaster Dr Paul Hicks "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".
This is an excerpt from a letter to the CGS Community from Dr Paul Hicks, Headmaster
