Emma Pritchard
South Grafton High School is among 24 high schools across the state to be recognised by the NSW Department of Education for their improved Higher School Certificate (HSC) results in bands 4, 5, and 6 throughout the past eight years.
More than 450 high schools were examined between 2017 and 2024 by the department, with the Clarence Valley based secondary education facility one of 10 regional and/or rural campuses to be recognised for demonstrating consistent growth and an increasing number of students who have achieved outstanding results in their HSC.
Principal of South Grafton High School Daniel Moar said the news has definitely put a spring in the steps of a few people since it was officially announced last week, adding the acknowledgement is reflective of the dedication and committed work ethics demonstrated by staff and students.
“These results, they’re a joint effort between our staff, our students, and also their parents,” he explained.
“We’re lucky that we’ve got a very supportive parent community at South Grafton High School.
“We work very closely with all of our students from Years 7-12, and we understand the HSC year can be a fairly stressful time, so we make sure parents are supporting their child/children because we all want the best for them.
“It’s a collective effort, and we’ve been fortunate in the last couple of years to have seen some great results.”
Mr Moar said South Grafton High School, which currently has 630 enrolled students, has a culture of high expectations with staff implementing effective teaching methods which encourage regular attendance and motivate students to enjoy their learning experiences.
“For me, it’s also about providing opportunities to support our students in other ways,” he revealed.
“We’ve employed some ex-staff members to come in and tutor students in Extension 2 Maths for instance, and the results which came through the HSC last year showed it is having a positive impact.
“We also employ an experienced ex-English teacher to come in and work with our students on essay writing skills.
“It’s the little things like that, for people who go out of their way to work with our students and support them, and our students really appreciate that.
“There is a real belief that they don’t want to let their teachers down and they want to work hard for not only themselves but also for the people around them.”
The Minister for Education and Early Learning, the Honourable Prue Car, said she wants every child in NSW to achieve their full potential in the states world-class public schools.
“With a qualified teacher in front of them, explicitly teaching from the knowledge-rich curriculum, they can do that,” she said.
“We are setting high expectations for our schools and students across the board, to ensure students aim high and work hard to meet their potential.
“These are outstanding results for students in our NSW public schools.”