What our Year 12 data says about culture

Last Friday, the College held its annual Dux Celebration to recognise the SACE performance of our most recent Year 12s. By far, the event has become one of my favourites on the College calendar. While seeing the recent graduates wearing their graduation ties and boasting freshly trimmed beards are always a sight for sore eyes, the cultural meaning standing behind this event is most important. Before we recognised individual achievements, we reviewed the collective achievements of the 2024 cohort. And while this article is about data and accomplishment, I would argue that it is as much about culture.

To explain, let's first look at the historical data. The table below reflects CBC’s Year 12 A and B percentages from 2019 to 2023. We begin in 2019, the year our 2024 graduates started at CBC as Year 7s, and end in 2023, as this was the year they stood on the precipice of beginning Year 12.

Now, I am by no means a numbers man. However, we can see above that, incrementally, for the last five years, CBC has continued to improve. To be clear, our boys are not getting more intelligent. I have been at CBC for over 10 years, and what I can tell you is that the potential and capability of one cohort to the next varies very little. Yet, our data reflects continual growth. It could imply the cohorts are getting smarter. Why? Well, not only does the overall A/B% nudge forward, but we also see a constant increase in the A band.

So, how did our 2024 Year 12 cohort go? They continued the trend.

Before returning to this notion of culture, it is crucial to tease out the 2024 numbers above a little more. When you have 60.90% of grades in the A band, you have a resounding message about belief. More impressive is when we break down the historical numbers in the A band alone.

Over a third – 37.2% to be precise – of all CBC grades were either an A+ or A in 2024. The flow-on effect of these achievements manifests itself in other areas. Last year, the boys achieved 38 merits across 11 subjects (an improvement on 22 in 2023, which was our most ever). While merits are an outstanding recognition, the fact the boys nearly doubled the percentage in A+s speaks volumes. Additionally, high grades generally reflect high ATARs. 42.8% of our Year 12 cohort achieved an ATAR ranking of 90 or above. In other words, 42.8% of our students were ranked in the top 10% of Australia’s Year 12s. When we look comparatively, the 2024 data is equally impressive. Below is a bar graph representing how CBC stands in relation to the rest of the state by means of grade distribution.

In my view, what all the data above shows is culture. For the five years leading up to Year 12, our 2024 graduates bore witness to growth. They harnessed support mechanisms, accepted advice and counselling, applied themselves to study groups and refused to accept a standard of anything lower than their best.

Equally, and consequently, their teachers, Heads of Learning and Houses, and tutors were able to work with students who collectively sought to nudge things forward a little more. Turn that B+ into an A- or see if that A can become an A+. To be clear, this is not just about belief. These results reflect a lot of hard work and require a mastery of skills, concepts and capabilities, which are underpinned by excellent teachers committed to getting the best out of our boys. And while the support ecosystem behind our Year 12s is undoubtedly comprehensive (and arguably effective based on the data), it hinges on the boys coming to the table. And as they continue to do so, we have seen them achieve what, five years ago, they might have thought was only possible for a select few.

To close, though, some quick acknowledgements. Congratulations to Abir for becoming the dux of an impressive cohort and Andrew for achieving Proxime Accessit. Both young men have interesting stories that add to the story of CBC. Abir is meant to be in Year 12 this year; his acceleration and promotion reflect how well we know our boys and commit to catering for their needs. Andrew has been with us since reception; he harnessed the platform provided. I also must congratulate Mr David Salamone (Director of Teaching and Learning), who worked tirelessly with Heads of House, Heads of Learning, teachers and tutors to aid our boys in achieving their goals.

Finally, a closing note on culture. At the end of the Dux assembly, I passed a group of 2025 Year 12s. They were not overwhelmed or worried about the 2024 cohort's achievements and data. Instead, they asked when the Senior Study Groups started and who was staffing them. They enquired about the process of booking tutors. They have work to do, and they have begun. And therein lies the culture resting behind the data.

Dr Lee Del Col
Deputy Principal – Head of Senior Campus