How private and public schools get the edge for this vital VCE subject

2 weeks ago 3

Expert tips to help you do your best in this year’s VCE, plus meet the students doing Year 12 differently.

Top-performing private and select-entry schools have revealed their methods for boosting students’ VCE English results to the top of the tables.

As The Age publishes its annual VCE study guide on Thursday, some of the top English performers have shared their formula for achieving the highest number of 40+ study scores in the vital subject last year.

Independent Toorak boys school St Kevin’s College achieved 106 scores of 40+ in English in 2024, while Haileybury Girls College just pipped them to number one place with 108.

Director of teaching and learning Hannah Kollmorgen with St Kevins College year 12 students (from left) William Park, Austin Bylsma, Daniel and Angus Macmillan at the morning Cafe Academus program in the school’s pavilion.

Academic study breakfasts, extra tuition, holiday programs and mining information from teachers who are assessors for the curriculum authority, which sets the exam, are among the tactics deployed to help students succeed.

St Kevin’s College director of teaching and learning Hannah Kollmorgen said the stereotype of “boys being better at numbers and girls being better at words” was outdated, despite trends in NAPLAN showing female students outperforming their male counterparts.

High-achieving old collegians – like Tommy Earle, who earned a perfect score in English last year – have been given a 12-month contract to help tutor students in the school’s study centre.

Earle, who is studying law and commerce at Monash University, said a number of teachers at St Kevin’s were assessors for the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) when he was a student. Earle and his classmates took four practice exams, so teachers could practice marking and cross-marking, which also gave students continuous critical feedback.

There are more than 5700 external VCAA VCE exam assessors who ensure students receive fair and consistent assessments.

A VCAA spokesperson said they had a policy of proportional representation of assessors from government, independent and Catholic schools.

“The policy also includes rotation, refreshment, and rejuvenation of assessing teams,” he said.

St Kevin’s head of English is an assessor this year, but Kollmorgen said there were limits on the number of teachers coming from one school.

Kollmorgen said the school runs a wide range of student support including a breakfast study session where students are supported by a year 12 teacher and can pick up a bacon and egg roll and a coffee.

There is also a weeknight study centre open until 6 or 7pm, two school holiday programs and extra trial exams on the Saturdays leading up to the English test.

Director of teaching and learning Hannah Kollmorgen and head of English Kaitie Callanan with St Kevin’s College year 12 students (from left) William Park, Austin Bylsma, Riley Hajdinjak and Angus Macmillan at the morning study program.

The total number of high scores in English for each school, extracted from the VCE honour roll, may be higher as it does not include the results of students who choose not to publish their scores. It is also not adjusted for the total numbers enrolled in VCE English at each school or the percentage of the cohort that achieved 40+ scores.

Melbourne Grammar School and Trinity Grammar School also had 66 and 65 students respectively score 40 and above in English.

Haileybury Girls College senior school head of English Clare Mackie said there was “no silver bullet” to achieving the school’s high scores, but 15 years of foundational work that included teacher education, extra trial exams and giving students the “scaffolds” they needed, had helped.

On top of a collaborative teaching culture and cross-marking, the school does a sixth period of English each week – a tutorial program.

“This is not something that happens overnight. It takes commitment and time and dedication and I am cognisant that we do have students who are aspirational,” Mackie said.

Melbourne High School students also made the list of top achievers, with 56 of their male cohort gaining scores of 40 or above.

Principal Tony Mordini said they had a phrase “honour the work and the work will honour you”. The select-entry government school encourages an early love of literature and teachers’ professional development, including becoming examiners or assessors.

“I put a lot of investment in them. I encourage them to go to professional development – to do things so they know what examiners will expect,” he said.

“We invest in our teachers, in their learning and development, so they are up to speed with whatever they need to do and that brings it back into the classroom.”

Non-select government school McKinnon Secondary College assistant principal Kellie Felmingham said their teachers analyse data each year to see their cohorts’ strengths and areas of improvement.

Only a handful of teachers in their English department were VCAA exam assessors this year, but across their subjects the school had about 25.

Those teachers will run a specific professional development session and share their knowledge.

“Our teams don’t work in silos, we work collectively. I think it’s really affirming for our teaching staff that they are teaching the content and skills at the required VCAA level,” Felmingham said.

“It’s that opportunity to ensure our teaching staff are delivering the lesson at the utmost highest level required for success.”

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