WA’s real top 50 schools: Rockingham public school takes out No. 2 in The West’s rankings table

A public school in the City of Rockingham has surprised many by taking out a top position in an alternative ranking of the State’s top 50 schools. Self-professed ‘independent public school’ Comet Bay College has secured second place in The West Australian’s Top 50 ranking for 2022. Nestled in the coastal suburb of Secret Harbour, the College has taken huge strides in improving its Year 12 results in recent years. And it’s paying off. Last year, the college recorded its highest-ever median ATAR score of 84.85. At the time, principal Kelly Bennett credited the impressive results to the hard work of students and to the school’s “teachers and dedicated growth coaches, who helped encourage them every step of the way”. Not only has Comet Bay College improved their ATAR scores in recent years, the school also boasts its Australian Football Specialist Program, which the Western Australian Football Commission has labelled the “benchmark” of school specialist programs in WA. The college also supports families in the Defence community, given its proximity to naval base HMAS Stirling. Its Defence School Mentor Program assists secondary students with their transition into and out of school on posting or during family absences due to deployment, exercises or courses. It also has a Gifted and Talented Program for its academically gifted students. This year, The West Australian’s ranking system attempted to level the playing field by basing its analysis on more than just ATAR scores. The rankings draw on results from the past three years, rather than just one, and takes into account each school’s index of community socio-educational advantage, the number of Year 12s in the school, the number of students taking ATAR subjects and the level of fees charged. The list was arrived at after finding the difference between each school’s predicted performance and their actual performance — revealing those making above-expected improvements to their students’ outcomes. By overturning some common assumptions, it is expected to spark debate about what makes a good school. University of WA education policy expert Glenn Savage said while he did not endorse The West’s data, global research suggested students’ socioeconomic status was the strongest predictor of school performance. “But there’s always going to be schools that are exceptions to that broader trend,” he said. “And it’s interesting to look at those schools that buck the trend, because in some cases you’ll get schools that are in lower socio-economic areas but are performing much better than what you would imagine, given their circumstances. “There’s a positive story in those schools that are value-adding.”