Hume Central Secondary College (HCSC), a participant in SVA’s Bright Spots Schools Connection, has shown it can achieve with the very best schools in the state after a record number of students received tertiary offers. 54 per cent of graduating students were offered first round places at university and 97 per cent of the year group were offered post-secondary education placements at TAFE and other colleges. Five students received ATAR scores over 90, and one student topped the state with a perfect study score of 50 in VCE Information Technology.

These results are the strongest yet for the new college, founded just six years ago, which has seen significant improvements in tertiary offers each year. The Class of 2014 were the first group of students to have been through the full six years of school with the current Principal, Glenn Proctor, and this year’s offers triple the number received in 2008 when Glenn first started at the school.

Mr Proctor commented: ‘We are delighted that so many of our students will be pursuing tertiary education and have been offered their first choice in courses of study. It’s a great testament to the hard work of all of our students, and our teachers, and their strong belief in their ability to pursue their dreams. We expect the best of our students and they’ve really stepped up to deliver’.

‘Many of these students will be the first in their families to receive a tertiary education.’

Nathan Baddawi, who was offered a place to study Biomedicine at the University of Melbourne, said:

‘The most exciting thing is that many doors have now opened up to me and nothing can hold me back now in achieving a career and a future that I have always dreamed of’.

Zoe Thomas, who will be studying Arts at the University of Melbourne, said:

‘Being offered a place at one of the country’s most prestigious universities makes my family immensely proud. I am so grateful to my teachers and family who had such faith in me and supported me in my learning journey’.

Kim Vo and Zaia Gorges have both been accepted to Commerce degrees, at the University of Melbourne and Monash University respectively.

SVA’s Sue Cridge commented:

‘Bright Spots like Hume Central show that the fate of students needn’t be determined by the postcodes of their community. By supporting a coalition of talented school leaders like Glenn, SVA is working to ensure that the Australian education system is informed by their example.’