Haileybury Rendall School named Regional School of the Year
Haileybury Rendall School has been names Australia’s Regional School of the Year at the Australian Education Awards 2023.
The annual awards, organised by The Educator, are Australia’s premier education awards. Last year, HRS was also named Boarding School of the Year.
In winning the Regional School of the Year title, HRS was recognised for its consistently high standards of teaching and learning, academic achievements, professional learning, strong communication with students, parents and teachers, and its commitment to innovation and continuous improvement.
The award was accepted by HRS Principal, Andrew McGregor.
“HRS sits on Larrakia country and more than 900 young people from across the Northern Territory, Western Australia and Queensland are at the heart of our school community,” says Mr McGregor.
“As well as being a day school, we are also the largest Indigenous boarding school in Australia and we have worked hard to create a welcoming environment for Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
“Every day, each of those students engages in two-way learning in an environment that is culturally, physically, psychologically and spiritually safe. They are encouraged and supported to feel valued and successful and we are very proud of the fact that, when young people leave our school, they go on to contribute to their families and communities and to the wider world”Andrew McGregor, Principal
Since HRS opened its doors in 2018, the school has set high educational standards for its day and boarding students. This year the school was the top performing NAPLAN school in the Northern Territory for the second year running. On average, the English and Mathematics curriculum is 18 months ahead of national standards.
In the past few years, 16% of senior students at HRS have achieved an ATAR over 95 and 42% achieved an ATAR over 80. Last year, 27% of Year 12 graduates were Indigenous – a huge step forward in ‘closing the gap’.
HRS has also been the fastest-growing school in Australia with enrolments increasing by an average 80 students each year. A carefully crafted infrastructure supports the education and wellbeing of each young person and the school also places great importance on supporting staff to enhance their own professional learning and development.
There has been a firm focus on extending the school’s comprehensive health and wellbeing program and HRS’s facilities have also been expanded to deliver some of the best educational experiences and opportunities in the country.
“In a short time, HRS has become one of the Northern Territory’s leading schools,” says Mr McGregor.
“We are all about providing a high-quality, tailored and contemporary education for students from many different backgrounds and we do that well. Being named Regional School of the Year attests to this. I am proud of our students and I am proud of the dedication and commitment of all our staff. Together we will ensure that HRS continues to flourish and grow.”
