Parents often refer to the school league tables (which ranks WA schools in order of the school’s median exam scores) to determine which is academically the “best school”, however, the value of a school’s worth is far more than a number.
At PLC Perth, we encourage all prospective families to tour our campus to meet our staff and students, understand what programmes are on offer and what facilities available, to ensure it is the right fit for your daughter.
In Western Australia, the league tables are incomplete because they do not include International Baccalaureate scores, a tertiary pathway offered by just three WA schools, including PLC Perth.
This year, factoring PLC’s IB Diploma score would have increased the School’s median ATAR to 91.90 if it was converted using the University of WA’s system of IB to ATAR conversion. This would take PLC to 4th position, not 11th, on the 2020 league tables.
The Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) also uses a conversion method, under which the combined ATAR/IB median is equivalent to 90.05. This would place PLC 8th.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) is an alternative university entry pathway and Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE) qualification. You can read more about the IB and what our top-performing IB students have to say here.
Out of the 135 students from the graduating Class of 2020, 26 students enrolled in the IBD and they achieved a median ATAR equivalent of 95.
PLC Principal Cate Begbie said even with this extraordinary result, the league tables were no indication of how good a school may be. “The individual achievement of every girl is not determined by a number,” Ms Begbie said. “We are proud of every single student and celebrate the development of the whole student.
“A median is not a true measure of the effort of the girls or the staff. There are some students who worked tirelessly to achieve the results they required and whether that was a score of 95 or a 65 is irrelevant – it speaks volumes to the commitment and hard work of both our students and staff to see these achievements realised.
“Our teachers and students have worked just as hard this year as they have in previous years and this year’s league table is no more a true measure of a school’s effort or performance than other years.
“When the girls start university or TAFE later this year no one will remember these numbers. What our PLC girls will remember is the enjoyment, the support, and the community that helped them become Inspiring Women.”
