In 2024 PLC Armidale had the highest proportion of students in each subject achieve a Band 6 result or a mark of 90 or above of all schools in New England, with 100 or more HSC entries.
“Our PLC Armidale advantage is evident once more,” said College Principal Mrs Nicola Taylor.
“Many of the girls achieved outstanding individual results, reflecting the focus, self-discipline and resilience that characterised this diverse cohort. Their achievement, individually and collectively across the subjects studied, exemplifies the culture of learning at PLC Armidale.”
While Australian Tertiary Admission Rankings (ATARS) are issued by the University Admissions Centre and are not made directly available to schools, Mrs Taylor said the college had heard back from a number of students and believed 30 per cent of the PLC Armidale cohort achieved an ATAR over 85, with 15 per cent achieving an ATAR over 95.
One of those students was PLC Armidale dux and matriculant Scarlett Loxley, who achieved an ATAR of 98.3 – the highest ATAR in Armidale. Miss Loxley was also listed on the NSW Distinguished Achievers list, which records students who achieved a result in the highest band (Band 6 or Band E4) for one or more courses.
“In 2024, 30 per cent of our cohort were included on this list,” Mrs Taylor said.
PLC Armidale Class of 2024 – the highest-ranked cohort in New England based on the percentage of high-scoring examination papers.
The PLC Armidale students who made it onto the Distinguished Achievers list are:
Scarlett Loxley – English Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, German Continuers, Software Design and Development (2023 Accelerated candidate); Anviti Sinha – English Advanced, Mathematics Extension 2, Mathematics Extension 1 (2023 Accelerated candidate); Amelie Van Der Werf – Physics (2024 Accelerated Candidate); Sophia Vanzella – Design and Technology; Isabella Waters – English Extension 1; and Alannah Williams – English Advanced, English Extension 1, Mathematics Advanced, Modern History.
Mrs Taylor said recording high bands of achievement is one measure of success and she was delighted for the girls whose consistent effort and steady application have yielded these results, along with the staff who have taught and mentored them.
“Many of these students achieved early entry to a wide range of universities and courses, which highlights the hard work and strong results that they have demonstrated over the course of their Stage 6 studies,” she said.
“The College is proud of the Class of 2024, who have enriched our community throughout their time with their creativity, determination, kind and inclusive consideration of others, qualities which will serve them well in the years ahead.”
Academic and personal growth of each individual, perseverance through challenge and finishing well across a range of endeavours are all measures of lasting achievement Mrs Taylor said.
“Each year, two state-based newspapers publish a list of the top schools in the State. Inclusion on the list is based on the ‘success’ rate of individual schools,” Mrs Taylor said.
“In this context, success is defined as the number of high scores (Band 6/mark over 90 or equivalent) expressed as a percentage of the total number of examination papers sat at the school. This count does not include subjects studied through an accelerated pattern of study or Distance Education.
“PLC Armidale is once again the highest performing school in the New England region according to this methodology – an outstanding effort by this cohort.
“On behalf of the staff of PLC Armidale, I would like to congratulate the Class of 2024 once more and wish them well in their future endeavours.”
