Maclean says prioritising wellbeing has been important in the success.

“Wellbeing, both for staff and students, has been a core focus of ours over the last several years,” he says. “We believe that a safe, structured and organised environment where each student is known, valued, cared for and supported in meaningful ways allows effective teaching and learning to take place."

An example of personalised support for students is the scholarship program that has raised over $900,000 in scholarships for individual students, as well as some community grants for projects such as the Community Kitchens program.

Another factor is sheer hard work.

“All the HSC students who achieved Bands 5 and 6 were hard workers; students who were consistent and determined, who submitted and resubmitted practice tasks and acted upon the feedback given to them, who were intentional and targeted in their learning, who were resolute and hungry for success, who had excellent attendance and who focussed their attention every lesson,” says Maclean.

Other schools could emulate some of Prairiewood’s initiatives, such as performance data analysis. Year 12 teachers at the school predict, halfway through the course, what band each of their students is likely to achieve.

“Reflecting deeply on those predictions as well as on other HSC data, looking at each student and where improvements could be made, identifying, often with colleagues, what teaching and learning interventions could have impact, mapping against the syllabus and reflecting on assessment," Maclean says.

They all combine to provide students with considered and authentic learning experiences explicitly designed to enhance performance.