Sydney Catholic Schools has achieved its best HSC results ever with 11 of its 33 schools ranked among the top 100 high schools in NSW.

To cap off an incredible 2021, 18 Sydney Catholic Schools ranked among the top 150 high schools and confirmed its reputation as one of the top performing systems of schools in Australia.

Sydney Catholic Schools’ unprecedented academic success saw its schools reach new heights with the number of distinguished achievers rising from 2486 in 2019 and 2511 in 2020 to 3115 in 2021.

Sydney Catholic Schools' Director of Education and Research Dr Kate O'Brien

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Director of Education and Research, Dr Kate O’Brien.

“These amazing results reflect the hard work and commitment of students, unwavering support of parents and carers and teachers and school leaders who stood out in the toughest of years as professionals who always put their students first,” Sydney Catholic Schools Director of Education and Research, Dr Kate O’Brien, said.

The results follow a series of ground-breaking HSC excellence initiatives that involved all 33 secondary schools meeting to share and analyse HSC performance data, identify key strategies for achieving academic success and find ways to share resources and opportunities across our 33 schools sitting the HSC.

“Our system-wide approach to excellence means that every student and teacher has access to a huge range of resources and experiences that a large system like ours can provide,” Dr O’Brien said.

“We’re always exploring new opportunities for our students and these results indicate we’ve hit a rich seam of success that will keep on giving” – Dr Kate O’Brien

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Executive Director, Tony Farley, said: “Our students’ results speak for themselves.”

“In the hardest of times and with the odds stacked against them, they excelled with distinction,” Mr Farley said.

Sydney Catholic Schools' Executive Director, Tony Farley

Sydney Catholic Schools’ Executive Director, Tony Farley.

“All 33 schools acted with unity and purpose, putting our students at the centre of everything we do.

“To the class of 2021, we extend our heartfelt congratulations and admiration.

“They pave the way and set a precedent for our students in the years to come and it’s clear with their excellent results, our schools will continue to be places of high achievement and lasting success.”

Here’s a recap of all our 2021 HSC highlights:

– 11 colleges ranked in the top 100 high schools in NSW and 18 colleges ranked in the top 150 SMH media rankings (calculated using the ratio of the number of band 6 results to the number of exams sat by the school).  They are:

  • St Clare’s College Waverley: 29th
  • Brigidine College Randwick: 58th
  • Bethany Catholic College Hurstville: 63rd
  • St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove: 69th
  • Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights: 74th
  • Marist College Kogarah: 76th
  • Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton: 81st
  • Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich: 87th
  • Marist Catholic College Penshurst: 90th
  • Marist College Eastwood: 95th
  • Aquinas Catholic College Menai: 97th
  • Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield: 105th
  • St John Bosco College Engadine: 117th
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington: 120th
  • Holy Cross College Ryde: 121st
  • Domremy Catholic College Five Dock: 124th
  • Marcellin College Randwick: 127th
  • Mary MacKillop Catholic College Wakeley: 139th

– 6 students placed first in the state in their HSC exam. They are:

  • Aquinas Catholic College Menai: Oliver Wells and Brock Wilson in Construction Examination
  • Bethany Catholic College Hurstville: Corina Choy in Mathematics Standard 1
  • Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton: Tony Khatter in Construction Examination
  • Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington: Diana Vlahos in Biology
  • Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield: Brent Macaraeg in Italian Beginners
    • Two SCS students placed first in the state who studied external courses to their school: Bethany Catholic College Hurstville student Jovanka Lim in Indonesian and Literature, and Our Lady of the Sacred Heart College Kensington student Christina Solyom in Hungarian Continuers

– Across the system, 46 students were named Top Achievers (students who achieved one of the highest places in an HSC course or VET examination and also achieved a result in the highest band)

– 87 All Rounders were named amongst our HSC cohort (scoring above 90 in at least 10 units)

– Across the system there were 3115 Distinguished Achievers

– Notable improvements in the SMH media rankings across the system include: 

  • Trinity Catholic College, climbing 191 places to 168 *
  • Holy Cross Ryde, climbing 176 places to 121
  • La Salle Bankstown, climbing 179 places to 235 *
  • Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton, climbing 135 positions to 81
  • Mary MacKillop Wakeley, climbing 102 positions to 139
  • De La Salle College Ashfield, climbing 103 places to 332 *
  • Domremy Five Dock, climbing 96 places to 124
  • Holy Spirit College Lakemba, climbing 98 places to 237 *
  • Patrician Brothers’ College Fairfield, climbing 84 positions to 105
  • All Saints Catholic College Liverpool (Casula), climbing 74 places to 228 *
  • Bethlehem College Ashfield, climbing 71 places to 205 *
  • St John Bosco College Engadine, climbing 41 positions to 117
  • Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich, climbing 40 positions to 87
  • Marist College Kogarah, climbing 40 positions to 76
  • Marist Catholic College Penshurst, climbing 38 positions to 90

– Distinguished Achievers: Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights had the highest number of Distinguished Achievers (212 of SCS’ total 3115), followed by Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton and St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove (193 a piece), Bethany College Hurstville (168), and Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich (156). 

– All-round Achievers: Clancy Catholic College West Hoxton had the highest number of All-round Achievers recipients from SCS’ cohort (11 of SCS’ total 87), followed by Freeman Catholic College Bonnyrigg Heights (10); Marist Sisters’ College Woolwich and St Clare’s College Waverley with six each; and Marist Catholic College Penshurst and Bethany College Hurstville with five each. 

* using Sydney Catholic Schools’ statistical data

Send your congratulations to our students by visiting the Sydney Catholic Schools Facebook page.