Does changing into a selective school in year 11 help me to perform better in HSC?
A selective school has an environment in which most students are aiming for high ATAR's. This encourages competition and so fosters high results for all, and in doing so increasing the rank of the school.
The advantages would be:
1) This competitive environment. Note: Selective schools don't neccessarily mean that this competition is such that friends will backstab each other to get ahead. It was quite the opposite at our school (Girraween High) where we all helped each other out, explained concepts to our friends and shared notes freely.
2). If the cohort does well then your results will be moderated higher. This basically means that if the cohort does well in the hsc then your school results will be pulled up (as according to the state standard your school exams were harder.) This is done in mathematical terms based on statistics but the above pretty much explains it.
Disadv:
1). You'd be moving away from your school in which you have developed friendships with your peers and teachers.
- This would mean losing support networks which would help you manage your stress levels through the hsc and keep you motivated. However, students who arrived in yr 11 at our school developed great friendships and fitted in really well. Academically they performed extremely good as well.
2). Let us say your current school tests are easy for you and you are passing by with flying colours. If your cohort does well in the hsc then you have nothing to worry about. However, if you feel that if you had harder tests and could still perform well then in a selective school you may recieve just that. If you perform well there then that means you are doing harder tests and doing well and so because of a better cohort (translates into harder tests) you will have a higher atar. The risk is, will you be by going into a stronger cohort (harder assesments) be able to perform at a level which exceeds you being first/top in a school with easier assesments.
In the end, there is no harm in trying so go for it. If any one is looking for entry into selective schools which use the ACER based HAST test (such Girraween High School) I will soon be holding tutoring. If you have an queries feel free to email me and I'll give you a run down of what I am offering and my teaching goals/strategy.
Hope everyone does well! Good Luck