Legislative Council, Tuesday 12 March 2025

Ms FORREST (Murchison) - Mr President, on 30 January this year I had the pleasure of attending the Hellyer College Evening of Excellence Awards, where scholarships and awards are presented to students who excelled in their studies in 2024. The awards are to assist those hard working local students in either their transition into year 11 or 12 or from year 12 into further education.

Hellyer College is a government senior secondary school located in Burnie. The college was established in 1976. I attended this college just a few years after it opened. The college currently caters for around 670 students in years 11 and 12. The college draws its students from Circular Head, West Coast, Waratah Wynyard, Burnie, King Island and the Central Coast Council areas.

Hellyer College takes immense pride in fostering a warm and welcoming environment where students feel valued, heard, and supported. This is no small feat given that more than half the students are new to the college each year. Thanks to the dedicated staff and ambitious improvement agenda, they have seen outstanding growth and success across academic, vocational and personal development domains.

Principal Shane Cleaver (ok) described 2024 as a year of record-breaking achievements for the college. He said in his speech on the at the Evening of Excellence; [TBC 11.41]

2024 marked the first year of the new DECYP Strategic Plan. 2024 to 2030 and our vision is clear. Bright lives, positive futures. Tonight, as we gather to celebrate the remarkable achievements of our students, I have no doubt that their futures are indeed bright and filled with promise.

They have much to celebrate. The list of achievements was amazing. Here are some of them. Raven Binstadt [ok] achieved an Outstanding Achievement in Vocational Education and Training award presented at Government House on Tuesday 28 January. Twenty students received an ATAR score above 90, a significant jump from just seven in 2023. That is 7 to 20. A median ATAR of 83.2, up 6.4 per cent from 2023. There were 239 exceptional achievement awards across TASC subjects, up from 159 in 2023. That is 159 to 239. Over 82 per cent of year 12 of students attained a TCE or TCEA qualification, demonstrating the college's strong commitment to equity and inclusion. There were 122 students who successfully completed full VET qualifications, preparing them for the workforce with real-world skills.

The student attendance rate was one of the highest among state colleges and is 6 per cent above the 11 and 12 sector average. A sold-out production of Sponge Bob the Musical bought the community together, engaging students, staff and the wider school network. A student wellbeing survey showed strong improvements in students' sense of wellbeing and belonging, with 97 per cent of students reporting they felt supported by their teachers and have positive relationships with them. A parent satisfaction survey also showed an increase from 2023 in parents' satisfaction with a college.

These are just some of the ways Hellyer College students and staff have achieved highly during the school year of 2024. While the data is impressive, from Shane, the principal's point of view, the feedback he values most is what he sees day to day around the college. He said the numbers of smiles on faces, teachers and students' side by side, solving tricky academic or social problems together, the sheer delight of both teachers and students when the results align with student effort and the hundreds of students each week who take advantage of the famous free breakfast program provided every day.

Among the outstanding results celebrated at the evening of excellence, I would particularly like to note two students for recognition. Riley Simpson, a student from Somerset, was recognised for his outstanding accomplishments during his time at Hellyer College, including exceptional achievements in Biology 3, Sports Science 3 and Mathematics Methods Foundation 3. Riley also earned a higher achievement in Chemistry and a commendable achievement in Mass Methods 4, Physical Sciences and English 3. Riley was named Hellyer College dux with an ATAR of 97.83, placing him in the top 3 per cent of students in Australia. He also earned a prestigious medical student funding scheme grant and will pursue medicine at the UTAS Cradle Coast campus, a well-deserved opportunity after his hard work and dedication.

Similarly, Malia Broomhall, a student from Circular Head, achieved an exceptional ATAR of 97.05, placing her also in the top 3 per cent of students in Australia. Her achievements included outstanding performances in Mathematics Methods 3, Chemistry 4, Sports Science 3, Biology 3, and English 3. Like Riley, she also secured a medical student funding scheme grant and will study medicine at the Cradle Coast campus of UTAS.

Mr President, 2025 is the first year in which the entire Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery will be delivered at the Cradle Coast campus. It is worth noting this first year cohort is fully subscribed. Both Riley and Malia could have chosen any university, but chose to stay and study medicine on the north west coast where they are close to home and connected to their community. They are setting an inspiring example for all of us.

Equally exciting is the fact that Riley and Malia will be joined by other local students to study medicine, including other Circular Head students who may have found the cost to move away to study prohibitive for them and for their families. I wish them all well. Sadly, I will miss the welcome function, which is on this week, because I am here. Importantly, the students at Hellyer College are not just numbers on a report. They are young people growing, learning, and thriving in an environment that supports their ambitions and wellbeing. I congratulate them all, particularly the principal, Shane Cleaver, on this remarkable improvement.