mmg.com.au

Local students have achieved excellent VCE study scores in 2012 by fast-tracking individual subjects.

Kyabram P-12 College’s Robert Hickingbotham scored 45 in further maths as a Year 10 student, while St Augustine’s College Year 11 student Tom Jackson achieved a maximum mark of 50 in outdoor and environmental studies.

Robert’s result, two years ahead of schedule, places him in the top two per cent in Victoria.

He will be studying VCE physics as a Year 11 student in 2013, a move which required written approval as physics is a subject rarely taken on a fast-track basis.

Once his VCE studies are completed he intends to move into tertiary education, with either medicine or engineering as possible areas of study he is considering.

Tom’s maximum score was the third achieved by St Augustine’s College students in the same subject in two years and he was keen to thank his teacher, Mr Ferrier, for his help in getting a great result.

This year’s college dux Jayne Livingston and second highest ATAR scorer Lauren Anderson both achieved 50s as Year 11 students in 2011.

Mr Ferrier said Tom had worked very hard all year and shown great commitment.

‘‘It’s good to see there are students in the community that are doing well at local schools,’’ Mr Ferrier said.

‘‘These kids are not travelling away to private schools, they’re local and they’re being given pretty good opportunities.’’

The subject underwent a change in study design in 2012 and Mr Ferrier said it was satisfying as a teacher to know the right content had been covered.

Kyabram P-12 College Year 12 student Nicole Dickinson also achieved a maximum score of 50 in business management.

Nicole said she found the subject very interesting while studying it in Year 11 and the exam timetable gave her time to prepare thoroughly for the business management exam.

She plans to go to University of Ballarat next year but is waiting for her first round offer, to be released on January 17, before confirming which degree she will study.

Her overall ATAR score of 87.75 made her the second highest achiever at Kyabram P-12 College behind dux Matt DeCicco with 90.65.

Other high scorers at Kyabram P-12 College were: Sophie McCague 87.35, Matthew McLean 82.15, Katrina Owen 82.05 and James Lovison 80.4.

St Augustine’s College’s other highest scorers behind dux Jayne Livingston (95.1) were: Lauren Anderson 93.75, Brett Mangan 88.1 and Ben Doolan 85.15.