WA’s top schools 2025 based on highest-performing Year 12s in ATAR courses

Perth Modern School has snatched back the crown as WA’s top school, based on the number of ATAR subjects in which their Year 12s excelled last year. The State’s only fully-academically selective school regularly tops league tables, but last year it was beaten to the number one spot on that measure by another public school, Shenton College. The West Australian has analysed data released on Wednesday by the School Curriculum and Standard’s Authority to create a school ranking. The ranking is based on how frequently each school was named for its Year 12 students getting high grades across individual subjects. Ninety-four schools were recognised for having the highest-performing students in ATAR courses in 2025 — five more than last year. Of those, 13 schools had their names listed against 10 or more subjects. Perth Modern was recognised across an incredible 23 courses, ranging from chemistry and geography to psychology and Tamil, the main language spoken in Sri Lanka and southern India. Five public schools were in the top 10, including Rossmoyne Senior High School in second place with 19 mentions. Claremont private boys’ school Christ Church Grammar School was in third position with 17 mentions. This year, Shenton College dropped to equal fourth, alongside Claremont private girls’ school Methodist Ladies’ College, each with 15 mentions. Willetton Senior High School, which produced last year’s best all-round student, Cohen Beveridge, who was awarded the Beazley Medal for achieving the top exam results in the State, placed equal 6th in a four-way tie on 13 mentions. Bob Hawke College also had its name against 13 subjects in a stellar performance from its first graduating contingent of Year 12s. The school — named after former prime minister Bob Hawke who spent most of his childhood nearby — first opened in Subiaco in 2020. Commenting on Bob Hawke College’s ATAR results, acting Education Department director-general Melesha Sands said the first Year 12 cohort for a school was “always going to be special”. “It is really pleasing to see these students have lived up to their reputation of high-achieving,” she said. “It’s encouraging that they have set the bar high for future students following in their footsteps. “Acknowledgement must also go to the fantastic teachers and staff who have guided students throughout their secondary schooling.” The three other private schools in the top 10 include Wembley Downs boys-only college Hale School and girls-only St Hilda’s Anglican School for Girls, both with 13. South Perth girls’ school Penrhos College rounded out the top 10, with 12 appearances on the table, a big improvement on last year’s five mentions. Wesley College also stepped up, rising from just two appearances on last year’s list to nine this year. Perth Modern’s proud principal Mitchell Mackay said this was overall the best set of results its students had ever produced, across a range of measures. But at one stage, staff were a little concerned about how the class of 2025 would fare. “These were the COVID kids,” he said. “This was the group that came into Year 7 and had to go home. “So we kind of believe that created some really good bonds, forming study groups between them and supporting each other as well. “It was kind of ‘let’s do it together’, rather than be in competition with each other. As a whole cohort, they were incredibly strong.” Mr Mackay, who took the helm in 2022, said the students were very driven, but the school had a strong focus on supporting them and encouraging their interests outside academics. “There’s no guarantee when they come to us that they’re going to achieve those things just because they come with a high potential,” he said. “It’s up to us to provide the environment that’s safe and caring, so they come into a classroom feeling that they can make mistakes, for children who never make mistakes.” While Perth Modern has a strong reputation in the maths and sciences, Mr Mackay said he was pleased to see how well students also performed in the arts and humanities. “These are really well-balanced children — they’re very positive and happy,” he said. “They’re not children who got those perfect scores by being miserable.” SCSA identifies the schools that excel in each ATAR course, based on the percentage of students whose scores were in the top 15 per cent of all students studying that subject. To be included in the list, schools must have at least 10 students doing the course, which means that bigger, better-resourced schools are more likely to feature. Most schools with frequent appearances on the list were in Perth’s metropolitan area, but a handful of regional schools were named including Margaret River Senior High School, with four mentions, and Hedland Senior High School in Port Hedland, Albany’s St Joseph’s College, Karratha’s St Luke’s College and John Paul College in Kalgoorlie, each with one mention. Denmark Senior High School and the WA College of Agriculture in Denmark each had two mentions, as did Busselton’s Cornerstone Christian College. A spokesperson for SCSA said it published a range of student achievement data to provide students, parents and the community with an overview of Year 12 engagement and performance. “The authority publishes the table showing schools with the highest-performing (top 15 per cent) students in Year 12 ATAR courses to acknowledge the outstanding efforts and commitment of students, their teachers and school leaders,” they said. The West devised the ranking measure after education authorities stopped releasing schools’ median ATAR scores, which previously formed the basis of school rankings in WA.