By Lucy Carroll and Nigel Gladstone
Boys schools have achieved more top-tier marks in the HSC than at any time in the past five years, steadily catching up to their all-girls counterparts and recording higher student success rates across all sectors.
A Herald analysis of this year’s HSC data reveals the gap between the average number of top scores achieved by students at all-boys and all-girls schools is closing, with public boys schools achieving the biggest gains.
The results – which only reflect top band six results – come amid escalating tensions at some of Sydney’s single-sex state schools and high-fee private boys institutions over plans to merge or switch to co-education.
Balgowlah Boys High graduating year 12 students with principal Paul Sheather just after HSC results were delivered.Credit: Nick Moir
This year’s HSC average success rates – the ratio of top scores to total exams sat – shows that of the top 300 schools, all-girls institutions outperform boys schools overall, but the gap between the two is shrinking.
Across public comprehensive boys’ schools there was a median success rate of 13.5 per cent - up from 9.8 per cent five years ago – and now narrowly overtaking girls. The success rate for co-ed comprehensive schools has risen slightly this year to 9.2 per cent.
Within both private and Catholic sectors, all-boys school success rates are rising, while girls and co-ed are holding steady.
The Herald’s annual rankings are based on schools that have at least 150 entries in HSC courses based on their success rate of getting band sixes, or marks over 90. Education authorities only release limited data for students scoring in the top performance band, which each year skews the rankings to academically selective and Sydney’s wealthy private schools.
This year Northern Beaches Secondary College Balgowlah Boys Campus and Willoughby Girls were the top-performing comprehensive state schools, both jumping 10 or more places, and North Sydney Boys was the top-ranked school. Co-educational school Reddam House in Bondi, placed first among private schools.
Balgowlah Boys principal Paul Sheather said a “slow evolution of increased performance” at the school over a decade was behind the climb up the charts.
“One area we struggled in was general maths because of the literacy needed to understand the questions. We have done a lot of work on the explicit and direct teaching of literacy and writing.
“There can be a deficit starting from year 7 – boys don’t read or write as much as girls – and explicit teaching gives students the weaponry to lift their skills across the board. It’s teaching how to write, not just what to write about. It’s also giving boys without a wide vocabulary the words needed to improve their writing,” said Sheather, now in his 15th year in the role.
Across the state, this year’s median ATAR was 71.05, with girls scoring an average ATAR of 71.9, and boys at 70.
Of government boys schools, Balgowlah, Asquith Boys and Granville Boys had some of the biggest gains. Blacktown Girls High leapt 90 places, while co-ed public schools including Pennant Hills, Menai and Moss Vale have leapt dozens of places.
Andrew Martin, professor of educational psychology at UNSW, said the HSC data showing single-sex schools having the “slight academic edge” on co-ed tracked with evidence from other large-scale studies, but cautioned that many other factors predict achievement, including a student’s socio-economic background.
“Looking at top band results is only one point of measurement. For students on a positive trajectory – moving band two to band three, or three to four - that is the critical measure.”
“Boys can have a long tail, so you can have this strong cohort of boys, and also in the same group a long tail. This shows there is great potential, but there are a lot of stragglers and most of these tend to be boys regardless of whether they are in single-sex or co-ed schools.”
“We see education a gap both socio-economically and in terms of regional and urban, and we have to guard against that tail falling further behind.”
NAPLAN results show girls outperformed boys in literacy and numeracy in most year groups this year, while roughly 40 per cent of boys in year 9 are failing to meet proficiency in reading and grammar tests.
Of the Herald’s top 300 schools this year, 40 are boys schools, up slightly on last year, and 61 all-girls. Comprehensive schools took 68 spots in the top 300 (five boys, 53 co-ed and 10 girls), one more than last year, while private schools have taken out 132 spots, five more than last year.
In October, the state government announced it would expand access to co-ed high schools, marking a major win for parents who had long campaigned for more schooling options, while also merging Randwick Girls and Boys High into one co-educational school from 2025.
The Randwick plan has triggered a fierce backlash from some students and parents, who say the move will benefit boys’ educational outcomes at the expense of girls.
Tensions are also rising at historic boys school Newington College in Stanmore after its decision to break with 160 years of tradition and move to co-education. The College, where fees will rise to $42,000 for senior students next year, could face a legal battle over its decision to admit girls, as well as alumni withdrawing bequests to the school.
Brigidine Randwick graduating year 12 students Ellie Shearman, Isabella Matis, Isabella Woods and Emelia O’Leary. Brigidine was the the top-ranked Catholic systemic school on the Herald’s rankings.Credit: Edwina Pickles
At Brigidine in Randwick, where 58 per cent of students achieved a mark of 90 or above in English advanced courses, principal Sharyn Quirk said she was a strong advocate for girls schooling.
“I think there is a swing towards co-ed, but when I talk to parents many feel there are benefits to girls’ schools, including having fewer distractions,” she said.
“As for our English results, that is down to incredible teachers, and the girls having that drive, interest and desire to improve their learning and think critically.”
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