As a Christian community that seeks to make an outstanding impact for the good of society through our students, and by the quality of

our teaching and leadership in education, academic excellence and character development are at the heart of The King’s School. Academic excellence is essential for the thought leadership that we develop and engender in every student of our School, and at the end of each year we have opportunity to pause, celebrate and refl ect upon the achievements of all our boys. Well done Kingsmen!

The 2017 HSC results, ATAR scores and NAPLAN results, are exceptional by all measures, and even more so for a non-selective school. While King’s continues to feature prominently in the league tables of the tabloid press (HSC Band 6 comparisons), it is the depth and breadth of achievement (Median ATAR) demonstrated by all our boys that gives us cause for real celebration. The Class of 2017 excelled themselves and have continued the tradition of academic excellence at The King’s School.

Never before has The King's School had:• two students obtain perfect scores in their ATAR • ten students awarded state rankings• 164 “Distinguished Achievers”• 381 Band 6 results across all subjects.

Our Kingsmen support each other in their academic pursuits. More than this, The King’s School Class of 2017 honoured themselves in nominations in the Visual and Industrial Arts, Music and Drama subjects:

• Five Nominations in Art Express in which two students gained selection.

• Three in Encore for Music where one was selected.

• A further ten boys nominated for OnSTAGE for Drama where one was selected.

• 12 boys nominated in InTech in Industrial Arts where two were selected.

It is clear that our academic departments, tutoring services, library staff and facilities and Education Support Services are all aligned with the culture of academic excellence at King’s.

A median ATAR for the cohort of 86.95 shows that an average King’s student is still within the top 14% of students in New South Wales. That our students support each other, is also self-evident. In 21 of the courses we off er, we had no students achieving in the bottom half of the result bands. Our Kingsmen support each other in their academic pursuits.

In NAPLAN, it is clear that the School's emphasis on literacy and numeracy is producing results. Although we don’t always share the NAPLAN obsession that our press would claim we should, the weight we place on writing, spelling, reading and numeracy is designed to engage students in meaningful, long term ways, rather than gearing them for one-off assessments.

This publication will detail the prominence in which we place academic excellence within The King’s School. You can read about our teaching and learning methods, experience our success stories, contemplate our thought leadership and strategic intent. I commend the 2017 cohort for the results and congratulate staff for their continuing pursuit of academic excellence at The King’s School.

Tony George | Headmaster

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HEADMASTER'SSUMMARYOF RESULTS

KIMBLE ZHANG & ALLEN GUO

99.95

Nobody’s perfect, but when it comes to the 2017 HSC, Kingsmen Kimble Zhang and Allen Guo have a pretty strong counterargument.

Both students achieved the highest possible ATAR – 99.95 – to cap off already impressive King’s careers in the most exceptional of ways.

Kimble, who had already been named 2017 Dux, fi nished second in the state for Mathematics Extension 2, sixth for Physics and eighth for Chemistry. Allen, meanwhile, fi nished fourth in Chemistry and tenth in Physics. Both, along with 13 classmates, landed on the All-Rounders’ list for scoring 90 marks or above in 10 or more units.

Not surprisingly, they were thrilled with their results.

“I was over the moon,” says Allen. “It’s a really great feeling and nice to know that you’ve been rewarded for the work you put in throughout the year.”

Although admittedly apprehensive the night before results were released, Kimble says he was quietly confi dent he had put himself in a strong position to receive top marks. He believes time management was key to his success. “I can’t claim to have managed my time perfectly, but I found that always having clear, short-term goals helped clarify what needed to be done to achieve my long-term goals,” he explains.

“At King's, the general guidelines for academic success are heard often from the day we enter the gates to the day we leave: set goals, plan eff ectively, avoid procrastination, and many other bits of advice that

ring true. After some trial and error, I eventually formed the habits that worked the best for me.”

It wasn’t all work and no play for these King’s scholars. Both were involved in the Cadet Corps and the Duke of Edinburgh Award, as well as numerous sport and music commitments.

“I think the best aspect of King’s is probably the ability to involve yourself in such a range of activities,” Allen says. “I’m really thankful for so many opportunities like Corps Camp, like being in Music ensembles and doing sport; that taught me a lot.

“It wasn’t just the academic result that was rewarding in the end, but it was learning a range of life skills. I was able to get the most out of the six years I spent at King’s.”

In addition, Kimble believes the myriad of opportunities off ered at King’s encouraged students to take personal responsibility – another valuable lesson.

“Ultimately, I feel that the onus falls on students to take the initiative, both inside and outside the classroom, in seeking the opportunities that have been provided to us,” he says. “A strong support network is there for anyone who needs it, whether it be teachers, housemasters, tutors, sports coaches, or friends and family.”

This year Kimble Zhang will head to the University of Sydney where he will study a

combined Science/Medicine degree. Allen Guo will study Medicine at the University of NSW.

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Cadet Corps. Piano. Football. Chess. Duke of Edinburgh. Choir. Organ. This is a non-exhaustive list of the commitments Luke Oslington made

during his fi nal year at The King’s School. No wonder he’s been labelled an All Rounder. Twice.

Awarded The King’s School’s 2017 Alan Mitchell Prize, presented each year to the best all-round student, Luke went on to secure a place on the HSC All Rounders’ list, an achievement earned by scoring 90 or more in at least 10 units.

His eff orts all add up to an ATAR of 98.30, a score that secures his place in the Commerce/Computer Science double degree at the University of NSW. And while he is proud of this achievement, it’s not the fi rst thing that comes to mind when he considers The King’s School’s legacy.

“I will always appreciate the way there’s so much generosity and so many humble attitudes at King’s,” he says. “It’s such a wonderful school: always giving back to the community and the students as well.

“I’ll remember the role models, the way that I’ve seen the staff members behave – they’ve laid a great platform for me to emulate in my life.”

As an example, Luke pointed to his Mathematics teacher Mr Trevor Wykes, who he says always engaged with each student to personalise the learning experience.

It turns out his teachers weren’t the only role models at King’s. A School Monitor, Luke also led by example, according to his Housemaster, Mr David Vassallo.

“What made Luke a great leader was his true servant heart and unassuming nature,” Mr Vassallo says. “He

always served the house and school faithfully; freely giving of his time and energy. He did so not to receive accolade or reward, but because he wanted to give back to the King’s community which had been so important in shaping him.”

With a schedule like Luke’s, time management was imperative during the HSC and thankfully, he picked up a few handy skills during his time in the Corps.

“In Year 12, I was a Company Commander in Cadets and I actually spent a lot of my time planning out what was I going to do with this platoon and with this kid,” Luke says. “I had 150 kids I was trying to manage each week. It was the same management and discipline needed for study.”

Teamwork and character building are also hallmarks of the Cadet Corps, which combines military-style training and outdoor education experiences.

Luke says such activities provided a welcome break from study; an opportunity to refresh and return to the books with improved clarity. And for those moments when a timeout wasn’t enough, there was always a support network in sight.

“King’s is really good at helping in that sense because we have things like tutor group where we can just relax twice a week with the help of member of staff who is looking out for us in terms of emotional well-being,” he says.

“Being emotionally invested in each student … in terms of being able to recognise diffi culties and just knowing exactly where they’re at, is one of the unique things about King’s teaching. Then my mates were excellent as well, because we’d all look out for each other.”

Luke will continue to divide his time in 2018, having

secured a cadetship with UBS Australia.

LUKE OSLINGTON

98.30

SchoolResults41% GAINED AN ATAR OVER 902017 381 BAND 6 RESULTS FROM 236* STUDENTS2016 372 Band 6 results from 239 students2015 286 Band 6 results from 210 students2014 259 Band 6 results from 207 students2013 299 Band 6 results from 202 students 2012 278 Band 6 results from 187 students2011 217 Band 6 results from 199 students2010 178 Band 6 results from 173 students* Including 19 Year 11 students accelerating

DISTINGUISHED ACHIEVERS’ LISTNSW Education Standards Authority awards for scoring 90 marks or above in 10 units of the HSCHugh Chen, Allen Guo, Ben Hines, Matthew Joyce, Cass Lai, Owen Mak, Mathuraesh Nirmalarajan, Luke Oslington, Fabian Robertson, Amar Sabesan, Yang Tao, Joshua Walker, Jason Wan, Marcus Yuen, Kimble Zhang

State RankingsAllen Guo 4th in the State for Chemistry Allen Guo 10th in the State for Physics Ben Hines 9th in the State for Modern History Tim Sampson 5th in the State for German Extension Jason Wan 6th in the State for Mathematics Extension 2 Michael Wu 17th in the State for Modern History Kimble Zhang 8th in the State for Chemistry Kimble Zhang 2nd in the State for Mathematics Extension 2 Kimble Zhang 6th in the State for Physics Leo Zhang 16th in the State for Mathematics

Major Work NominationsArtexpress Ray Cao, Harrison Everett, Timothy Sampson, Nicholas Sutherland, Angus WoodInTech (Industrial Technology) Charles Brown, Angus Crossing, Thomas Field, Hamish Job, Hector Macintyre, James Prell, Joe Reid, Luke Ringrose, Benjamin Selig, Jack Taylor, James White, Trent WilsonOnStage (Drama) John Gikas, Jack Harrison, Archer Holz, Amay Jain (Group), Ciaran Loh (Group), Hugo MacKenzie-Wood, Lachlan Nye, Nicholas Pagano (Group), Alexander Reuben, Marcus Yuen (Group)Encore (Music) Oscar Han, Owen Mak, Yang Tao

82% OF HSC STUDENTS GAINED A 2018 UNIVERSITY OFFEROur boys received entry to leading Universities including (listed in order of total number of student off ers) Sydney University, University of NSW, Macquarie University, University of Technology Sydney, Western Sydney University, University of New England, University of Wollongong, Australian National University, Australian Catholic University, University of Canberra, International College of Management Sydney and University of Newcastle.

82%Gained a 2017

University offer

15Distinguished Achievers' List

16Students

with an ATAR of 99+

381Band 6 Results

99.95Top ATAR

Allen Guo andKimble Zhang

32Rank in SMH

Top 100 Schools Report

87Students

with an ATAR of 90+

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The King’s School is in Eddie Poolman’s blood. The 2017 School Captain is a third-generation Kingsman; his father a member of the Class of ‘86

and his grandfather ‘58. And while his pedigree might suggest a particular leadership trajectory, the 18-year-old says he didn’t always have such aspirations.

“I never thought I would be able to do something like that [become School Captain] until Year 11 when I came back from exchange,” Eddie recalls. “I had matured, I wasn’t as nervous … (I developed) independence and learnt how to handle things under pressure. That helped me a lot in Year 12.”

Eddie spent two months on a languages exchange at the prestigious Schule Schloss Salem in Germany in 2016. The Languages Exchange Program has a proud history of providing life-changing cultural experiences, both for Kingsmen and for students of partner schools who spend time at King’s.

Program coordinator and Head of Languages, Mrs Suzanne Hill, says exchange students return with a developed sense of self and a more open mind.

“It gives them a global view…and forces them to get out of their comfort zone,” she says. “They’re defi nitely more independent and more willing to look at things in a diff erent light.”

For Eddie, the exchange experience was immediately followed by the UK Rugby Tour and he believes the discipline and aplomb nurtured during his time away contributed heavily to his exceptional HSC results. He scored an ATAR of 99.05.

Add this achievement to his leadership roles (he was also Captain of his boarding house, Macarthur Waddy), his position in the 1st XV and his role as RSM in the Cadet Corps, and it’s fair to say Eddie’s school life was a multi-faceted one. He says balancing his studies with such activities was integral to his success.

He also credits the School’s Centre for Learning and Leadership (CLL). The state-of-the-art facility encourages critical and creative thinking with an extensive resource collection, collaborative spaces and formal learning zones. The upper level comprises the Senior Library and Year 12 Study Centre.

A weekly boarder, Eddie made a conscious eff ort to separate work and play, and says the CLL off ered an ideal study environment.

“The key to my success was the CLL and the tutors,” he says. “I never opened a book in my bedroom the whole of Year 12. I always studied outside of it to keep it separate; it was just a mental thing.

“It was so good to have the CLL and the tutors there for any questions you needed answered. The young Old Boy tutors have just done the HSC themselves so they know what you need. Even the walk to the CLL was good to clear the head.”

EDDIE POOLMAN

99.05

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Angus Allen was raised on the land and plans to one day return to the land. But thanks to his impressive HSC results, the Baker Hake House

alumnus will likely squeeze a degree and professional career in between those rural bookends.

Angus has his sights set on a degree in either Economics or Business, but he hasn’t decided yet because his ATAR – 93.25 – caught him off guard.

“I was extremely happy; I was surprised actually,” he says. “I was aiming for about 90 and I would've been very happy to get that.

“My marks opened a few more doors than I was expecting.”

Angus grew up in Berridale, a small town south-west of Cooma. His family’s property, Kiah Lake, is listed on the State Heritage Register. No sooner had Angus completed his HSC, than he was back on the sheep and cattle farm lending a hand.

The past six years have been a tale of two cities for Angus. As a boarder, he split his time between city and country life, and says The King’s School was the perfect place to bridge the gap.

“It’s been so great to have both infl uences,” says Angus.

“King's provides a great education and it's almost like you’re living in the country, but in the city. The School is so big, there is so much space, you don't actually realise you're in the city. But then the city is there for you too and it’s great to get that diff erent experience.”

Angus credits his teachers and their individualised approach for his strong HSC results. A self-proclaimed “simple guy”, Angus says King’s teachers make a conscious eff ort to relate to their students and help to meet their unique needs.

Angus squeezed a lot into his time at King’s. The third-generation Kingsman was a member of the 1st VIII, the 2nd XV and the Snowsports team. He was also part of the Tom Barrett Society and represented the School in South Africa as part of the Leadership Exchange Program in 2015. But he says his fondest memory will be his time as a boarder.

“I’m sad about leaving actually – living with your mates and all the fun we had,” he says.

As well as boarding, Angus says he was always impressed by the balance the School struck between honouring the past and evolving with the times.

“I love the traditions, like the fact the entire School attends the 1st XV Rugby and 1st XI Football, and I hope that keeps going the same way it's going,” he says. “But I also like the way the School is changing in other ways, like it has become more diverse.

“When you're from the country, you don't really know about other cultures, but at King’s I made very good friends from different backgrounds and nationalities, which is great.”

ANGUS ALLEN

93.25

ALLROUNDER

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SchoolResultsBAND 6 STATISTICS BY DEPARTMENT– HONOUR ROLL CREDITSSubject 2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

Business Studies 17 from 2 courses 15 15 21 24 26

Computing 8 from 2 courses 4 3 4 5 4

Drama 20 from 1 course 13 15 13 15 15

English 50 from 5 courses 62 45 34 38 37

Geography 10 from 1 course 7 5 5 13 4

History 38 from 4 courses 50 38 25 24 19

Industrial Arts 20 from 2 courses 23 17 21 5 17

Languages 10 from 6 courses 11 0 2 9 2

Mathematics 137 from 4 courses 126 102 87 105 85

Music 8 from 2 courses 2 10 10 7 11

PDHPE 4 from 1 course 14 5 5 6 4

Science 51 from 6 courses 41 26 32 41 50

Visual Arts 7 from 1 course 3 3 0 3 4

In 2 Unit courses 2017 – 297 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2016 – 298 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2015 – 215 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2014 – 196 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2013 – 233 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2012 – 222 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2011 – 171 marks of 90% or above in Band 6 2010 – 136 marks of 90% or above in Band 6

In Extension courses 2017 – 84 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2016 – 74 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2015 – 71 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2014 – 63 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2013 – 66 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2012 – 56 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2011 – 46 marks of E4 (45/50 or above) 2010 – 42 marks of E4 (45/50 or above)

RANKED 32ND IN NSW LEAGUE TABLE OF SCHOOLS**Provided by the Sydney Morning

Herald, where the School’s percentage rank of Distinguished Achievers (those who achieve 90 or more in a course) is divided by the number of exams sat, The King’s School was placed 32nd in 2017. This is an outstanding result given the School’s non-selective, single sex enrolment policy.

2017 2016 2015 2014 2013 2012

32nd 30th

38th

56th

38th 40th

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The Class of 2017 will go down as having produced one of The King’s School’s best ever HSC performances. Among the individual

achievements were two perfect ATARs, 10 boys on the Top Achievers List and 15 All Rounders. Forty-one per cent of King's students gained an ATAR over 90 and 16 scored more than 99.

Those students – and others – have plenty of which to be proud. But so does the entire King’s community, according to Director of Studies, Justin Walkden-Brown, who labelled the School’s success a “team eff ort”.

“The Class of 2017 produced an outstanding set of HSC results,” he says. “The results are the culmination of a growth in academic culture that has steadily taken place at The King’s School over the last 20 years.

“This growth has been due to many factors, but essentially it has been a vision for excellence, strong leadership and high expectations that have led to an ownership by the whole School community to strive for the best outcomes for the students. It has been a real team eff ort.”

A vital part of the King’s team is its teachers. Director of Teaching and Learning, Mr Chris Bradbury, says The King’s School staff is incredibly passionate about student learning, an attribute that rubs off in the classroom.

“Our staff go above and beyond in establishing positive relationships with our young men, both inside and outside the classroom,” he says. “Our staff recognise

that quality teaching is about being available to our students and challenging them to reach their full potential.

“Not only do our King's staff work tirelessly in the achievement of excellent HSC results, they invest in our students to ensure they have a love of learning and truly develop as life-long learners.”

Appointed at the start of 2017, Mr Bradbury is the fi rst Director of Teaching and Learning, a role established to create improved professional learning pathways. The King’s School acknowledges the signifi cant fl ow-on eff ect the professional development of staff has on its students, and plans to remain at the forefront of such initiatives.

But King's staff members are more than teachers. Like King’s students, they take on multiple roles to ensure the web of support is far-reaching. Mr Walkden-Brown says the positive impact this has on students and, in turn, their results, is undeniable.

“Having a pastoral net that involves Housemasters, Year Coordinators and Tutors provides a strong structure to track student performance, and support and challenge them in all their school activities,” he says. “In addition, all teachers help to support their students in the class setting and are often the fi rst ones to recognise when a student needs some help. We also have a wonderful team of counsellors who work closely with students and external specialists when needed.”

HOW DO WE DO IT?

TEACHING & LEARNING AT KING’SChristopher Bradbury Director of Teaching and Learning (Left)

Justin Walkden-Brown Director of Studies (Right)

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Careers Advisor Anthony Attard spends his time working tirelessly to ensure that every boy in Year 12 has the opportunity to pursue his

dreams and passions after school. His role spans a vast array of activities including helping with university applications, overseeing careers aptitude testing and even advising boys of job opportunities when they arise.

In 2017 a record number of boys at King’s were awarded early entry through a range of schemes both in Australia and overseas, thanks to Anthony’s hard work and dedication.

“In 2017 we had well over 100 boys apply for early entry into a range of degrees from law to agriculture, through the Schools’ Recommendation Scheme or separate schemes run by the universities,” he said.

“A large part of my role here is identifying opportunities for our boys, then making sure that they are fully prepared for the application process, to give them the best chance of achieving their goals.”

Anthony believes that the focus for university entry is moving away from purely academic results to look more at extra-curricular involvement and achievement, something which is easy for King’s boys to demonstrate.

“I have boys come into my offi ce to ask for help with their applications, and our problem isn’t thinking of extra things to add – it’s culling their list of activities! King's boys participate in such a wide range of extra-curricular activities that all of them have at least three of four things to add to an application form,” he said.

Last year Anthony helped several students prepare applications for the prestigious Oxford University in England – a rigorous process that involved registering the School as a testing centre, conducting entrance exams and ensuring the papers were delivered to England before the cut-off date.

In addition, he helped countless boys apply for a range of early entry programs to take some of the pressure off their fi nal exams. A big concern for many schools around early entry schemes is that students see them as a reason to stop working in the crucial fi nal months of their HSC. Anthony, however, sees the opposite eff ect happening at King’s.

“Our boys are well aware of the fact that half of their HSC results come from those final exams,” he said.

“Being awarded early entry seems to spur them on to achieve even greater marks. This year, most of our boys who were granted early entry went on to achieve ATARs well above the minimum requirements of their acceptance. The early off ers go a long way to taking the stress off the fi nal exams, enabling the boys to really enjoy the end of their time at King’s.”

In 2017 King’s had boys awarded early entry to a range of leading Australian universities including Macquarie University, the University of New England, University of New South Wales, University of Wollongong, Western Sydney University and Australian National University.

ANTHONY ATTARDCAREERS ADVISOR

Early off ers go a long way to taking the stress off the fi nal exams, enabling the boys to really enjoy the end of their time at King’s.

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ATARResultsPERCENTAGE OF TKS STUDENTS ABOVE EACH ATAR

ATAR 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017

99 3.5 1.5 8 8 1.5 6 6 8

95 15 18 26 25 19 22 26 24

90 27 33 41 41 35 34 42 41

80 56 57 60 64 58 60 67 66

70 72 78 77 80 76 75 79 84

60 84 88 88 91 91 87 92 91

50 93 96 93 96 95 95 97 96

Students 172 193 183 198 205 189 206 211

Median 82.25 84.30 86.80 85.30 83.15 83.25 87.45 86.95

Mean 78.25 80.30 81.08 82.85 80.38 80.53 83.20 83.02

HSC SUBJECTS OFFEREDHSC course subjects off ered in 2017 at The King’s School included

Agriculture, Ancient History, Biology, Business Studies, Chemistry, Chinese Continuers, Chinese in Context (formerly known as Heritage), Chinese Language and Literature (formerly known as Background Speakers), Design and Technology, Drama, Earth and Environmental Science, Economics, Engineering Studies, English Advanced, English Standard, English ESL, English Extension 1, English Extension 2, French Continuers, French Extension, Geography, German Continuers, German Extension, History Extension, Industrial Technology, Information Processes and Technology, Legal Studies, Mathematics, Mathematics Extension 1, Mathematics Extension 2, Mathematics General 2, Modern History,Music 2, Music Extension, PDHPE, Physics, Senior Science, Software Design and Development, Studies of Religion II, Visual Arts, Various TAFE and NSW School of Languages courses

ENQUIRIES87-129 Pennant Hills Road, North Parramatta NSW 2151PO Box 1 Parramatta NSW 2124P +61 2 9683 8555 | W www.kings.edu.auCricos No 02326F | ABN 24 481 364 152