Teaching and Learning

HSC Achievements

One hundred and fifty-four (154) Warners Bay High School students presented for the Higher School Certificate in 2023 in 23 courses. The cohort performed strongly, achieving 30 Band 6/E4 results and 205 Band 5/E3 results. Twenty-three of our students made the Distinguished Achievers’ List across fifteen (15) subjects including Community and Family Studies, PDHPE, Advanced English, English Extension 2, Mathematics Standard 2, Mathematics Advanced, Mathematics Extension 1, Biology, Industrial Technology, Legal Studies, Modern History, History Extension, Music 1, and Visual Arts.

Two of our students had their work chosen to be exhibited in ARTEXPRESS; a showcase for exemplary artworks created by students across New South Wales for the Higher School Certificate. Six students were selected to exhibit their artwork in the First Class exhibition at the Museum of Art and Culture, and three students had their major Industrial Technology projects shortlisted for the SHAPE exhibition. Further details of these achievements appear elsewhere in our Creative and Performing Arts and Technological and Applied Studies reports.

Our talented teachers continued to make strong contributions to the HSC this year, not only in the classroom, but also in the HSC Marking Centre. Several Warners Bay High School teachers hold positions as markers, senior markers, and judges across most of the Key Learning Areas. They share the valuable insights obtained from these experiences with their colleagues and enhance the quality of the teaching and learning that takes place in our classrooms.

Early Entry to University

In September, many of our Year 12 students received early entry offers to university courses. Students were offered positions in a range of degrees from Engineering, Computing Science, Science and Criminal Law to Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy, Teaching and Nursing, based primarily on their performances in Year 11.

External Validation

In mid-2023, an independent panel of educational experts conducted a review of Warners Bay High School’s progress towards the achievement of our Strategic Improvement goals. The panel scrutinised the evidence our planning team had used to make their own judgments and validated their conclusions. Warners Bay High School was rated as excelling in relation to the quality of educational leadership, teaching and support we provide to all our students. The External Validation report will be used to help us refine our teaching and learning practises and to inform the development of our new Strategic Improvement Plan (SIP).

Senior Study

Throughout 2023, WBHS continued to provide targeted support and assistance to students enrolled in Years 11 and 12 through our Senior Study program. Under the guidance of our dedicated Senior Study Co-ordinator, students engaged with a structured study skills program; completed homework, assessment tasks and private study; developed independent work skills; and participated in collaborative learning activities in a safe and supportive learning environment. Tutorials and individualised mentoring sessions were conducted by subject specialists; relaxation and stress management exercises were introduced by our Student Wellbeing team; and students availed themselves of a diverse range of digital and print-based resources curated by our Teacher Librarian. Counselling was also provided by our Careers Adviser who helped students to identify tertiary education opportunities and post-school pathways, and successfully transition into the workforce.

Outstanding Commitment to Professional Learning

Throughout 2023, WBHS teachers and support staff demonstrated their commitment to ongoing professional learning by engaging in a range of professional learning activities. In addition to participating in activities which focused on priorities identified in Strategic Directions 1,2 and 3 of the Warners Bay High School SIP, teachers also engaged with activities designed to facilitate the successful implementation of curriculum reforms introduced by the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA).

Teachers participated in five (5) School Development Days, which focused on strategies to facilitate student growth and attainment, Aboriginal Education, the development of a culture of high expectations and continuous improvement, and strong student engagement and wellbeing. Faculty-based professional learning addressed specialist content, explicit teaching, differentiation, assessment, data analysis and reporting. Individual staff members also participated in a diverse range of externally developed courses including HSC High Leverage Strategies, vocational education and training, sports coaching, mentoring, leadership, and continuous improvement.

Accreditation of WBHS Teachers

During 2023, three of our Early Career Teachers were successful in their applications for accreditation as Proficient Teachers by the NSW Education Standards Authority. This rigorous process required the applicants to provide evidence of their deep knowledge and understanding of the needs of their students, a well-developed understanding of the content they deliver, effective teaching practices and an ongoing commitment to professional learning. It is reassuring to know that the future of education at Warners Bay High School is in safe hands.

Professional Experience Placements for Teacher Education Students

Warners Bay High School’s ongoing commitment to providing consistent, high quality professional experiences for preservice teachers was once again in evident in 2023. Twenty (20) of our teachers across all ten faculties provided high-quality support and guidance to twenty-two (22) preservice teachers from the University of Newcastle and Avondale University.

Professional Experience Hub School Program

Warners Bay High School continued to play an active role in the NSW Department of Education’s PEX Hub initiative; a program designed to enhance the professional learning experiences of preservice teachers. Having produced a range of documents to support our colleagues supervising pre-service teachers in schools across NSW, we also worked closely with our Hub partner, the University of Newcastle, to conduct research into the impact of a range of support strategies and develop a support package for students completing Special and Inclusive Education placements in Support Units. We anticipate this package will be shared with our Hunter region colleagues in Term One, 2024.

High Potential and Gifted Education

Throughout 2023, WBHS demonstrated our commitment to the provision of a quality education for all our students through the articulation of a formal approach to the implementation of the HPGE Policy and the provision of a range of enrichment and extension opportunities across the intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical domains. Targeted differentiation was implemented by teachers in classrooms from Years 7 -12. All Year 7 students participated in project-based learning; four (4) of our Year 10 students participated in an accelerated Geography program, successfully completing Year 11 studies in this subject a year ahead of their cohort; and 59 Stage 4 students successfully completed Years 7 and 8 Enrichment, Extension and Engagement (EEE) programs. Our Creative and Performing Arts teachers, created many extracurricular opportunities for our students to perform and display their skills including MADD Night, Soire, Starstruck and the school musical. High potential and gifted students from our partner primary schools participated in a range of HPGE workshops developed by our Music and Visual Arts teachers. Leadership opportunities were provided within the Student Executive, Student Representative Council, Environmental Representative Council, and various sporting teams. Our Debating and MUNA teams, and Public Speakers were very competitive in regional competitions and represented our school with distinction. Many of our students represented our school and region with distinction in the sporting arena in individual and team competitions, with some achieving success at Zone, Regional and State levels. Several of our students completed in national and international competitions. These achievements are addressed in greater detail on the CAPA, English, Library and PDHPE Achievement pages.