Year 12 students from Kooringal High returned to school for one final time to unveil their ATAR and HSC marks. Photo: Jarryd Rowley.
More than 83,000 NSW students received their HSC results this week, marking the end of 13 years of schooling.
Among them were more than 90 students from Kooringal High School, who studied for nearly two years for their ATAR.
While some subjects such as English and Maths had written exams, others, including Music, Design and Technology and Entertainment Studies, had a practical component.
Jenna Oakman, Cash Bradshaw and Sarah Wiggins, who all received ATARs above 90, are happy the hard work paid off.
“It was definitely a bit of a stressful period doing all of the exams; a few of them I had back to back, which was a bit scary, but I am quite happy it’s over,” Jenna said.
“I was very happy to try my best and everything, but it is a relief. Now it’s all done.”
Jenna, who was also this year’s school captain, achieved a rank of 90.65, a feat she wasn’t sure she’d be able to achieve due to the weighting of some of her subjects.
“I do a lot of subjects that I really enjoy, so I think that definitely helped me when getting the marks,” she said.
“I was very nervous. Doing a lot of creative subjects like Music, there are a lot of students across the state who are just insanely talented at it, so it’s quite hard to compete.
“I was quite happy that they didn’t seem to scale me down. I think that shows you should do subjects that you enjoy rather than ones that are really ridiculously hard just for marks.”
Jenna’s classmate Cash decided to take on multiple interests, including Entertainment and Engineering.
“I was absolutely stoked to get a 91.22. I thought it was going to be a lot worse, but I’m glad that I was able to put in the effort and get a good mark like that,” he said.
“I just picked subjects that I love doing rather than thinking about weighting. It’s all stuff I want to do in the future.”
Sarah with her Design and Technology project along the Murrumbidgee River. Photo: Sustainable Wagga.
While Cash will likely be accepted for any course he applies for, he said 2026 is all about taking a gap year and taking a break.
“I want to do a gap year first up, just actually to get enough money to go to uni. But other than that, I’m thinking like something a bit sciencey, something in engineering,” he said.
The highest ATAR for Kooringal High School, 93.1, went to Sarah Wiggins, whose project for Design and Technology was seen across the Wagga section of the Murrumbidgee River.
“For my design and technology project, I made a scenic snap bracket,” she said.
“They were set up along the river to capture photos of the environment over time. So it boosted both tourism and captured change. Eventually, I made that into a big stand that could be implemented on its own, which was made out of metal.
“I had previously taken metal courses here, so I was able to navigate that and design it to suit the needs of the environment they were in.”
Acting deputy principal Ros Mattingly said she was proud of all the students who completed their HSC and wished them the best for life after school.
“Real life begins now that school is done,” she said.
“I know some of them have been a bit lost since the HSC without the structure. Just remember that your ATAR doesn’t define you.
“There’s plenty of other pathways to things if you have been disappointed today. But also, some of you will start courses and change tracks. But go with your heart, make sure that you choose a career that you really enjoy.”
