“The opportunity to participate in the GPS competition across multiple sports is also an experience that enables the development of communication, teamwork and time management skills and has also provided me with memories and friendships that have contributed greatly to my enjoyment of school.”— Joshua Zahra
We’re proud to celebrate our students' outstanding achievements, with Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) and Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) results revealing another successful year for our school.
Our 2024 QCE graduates have performed very well, and we want to extend our heartfelt congratulations to them. Our School also wants to acknowledge the dedication and hard work of all the teachers who have supported and guided these students throughout their time at Toowoomba Grammar School. In particular, we would like to express our gratitude to all Year 12 teachers and Heads of Department for their exceptional dedication in guiding this cohort.
We are delighted to report that 100% of students achieved their Queensland Certificate of Education. Excitingly, three students received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of 99 or above. We are pleased to announce Aaron Nelbin as Dux of Toowoomba Grammar School with an ATAR of 99.8 and Bertie Mansfield as Proxime Accessit with an ATAR of 99.75.
Here are some of the key highlights from our 2024 TGS QCE and ATAR results:
- 17% of students achieved an ATAR of 95 or above, compared to 5% across the state.
- 34% of students achieved an ATAR of 90 or above, compared to 10% across the state.
- The median ATAR is 84.
- We congratulate the following six students on achieving a perfect subject score of 100. These students are Nicholas Baulch and Juert Eerkens – Drama, Oliver Clifford and Aaron Nelbin – Mathematical Methods, Bertie Mansfield and Joshua Zahra – English.
- 100% of students achieved a Queensland Certificate of Education.
- Seven students achieved an A in every subject.
Importantly, many of our 2024 Year 12 students have met their goals, gaining entry to their desired courses or pathways. This is highlighted by a significant 61 students completing their studies with a Vocational Education and Training (VET) qualification.
As is our TGS tradition, we look forward to celebrating these accomplishments formally at the Scholars’ Assembly on Friday, 31 January 2025.
While we, as an educational institution, will analyse the results in greater detail to develop strategies for further enhancing our academic program, we thought it timely to ask our students how they achieved such success.
We’ve asked some of our high achievers how they managed their workloads, achieved balance, and what, or indeed whom, inspired them to excel.
What motivated me to take on these roles was the positive influence of the academic leaders I had during my own high school journey. They inspired me to play a similar role when I reached Year 12. Initiatives like Tutor Tuesdays gave younger students the confidence to tackle their studies and showed them that help was always available. These sessions encouraged students to improve themselves by providing easy access to constructive feedback from older boys who had already gone through the same assignments and exams.
Being able to successfully balance my schoolwork with other important activities such as service is definitely something that has only come with time and experience. I’ve learnt that a lot of the time it involves getting things done when you least feel like it and reaping the rewards for that later on. As for what motivates me, it would have to be the students that have come before me – those I looked up to. This year, with me being in the position of those who were role models to me, I have been motivated to be the same role model to younger students so that they too can achieve great things while at this school.
The thing that was really important about the culture here at Grammar are the teachers, they were always here to back us up. Whichever subject we were in our teachers always guided us along the way. I'm excited for the future and all the opportunites that await.
Top Tips
Bertie Mansfield: “Being prepared to adapt a schedule to factor in new things is what I have found to be the most important skill for my personal academic success.”
Aaron Nelbin: “I would recommend that younger boys take every opportunity to get involved in co-curricular activities. This year I played GPS tennis, and those good times we had at training and games were really what got me through the year. Having those laughs with your mates gets your mind off those exams and will be something you’ll remember in the future. I know a lot of people get worried if they can balance their co-curricular and academics, especially in Year 12, but honestly, I feel like if you have the drive to keep on top of your studies, it’s definitely possible to excel in both.”
Future Plans
“I plan to go directly to university and, though I have applied for a course to start on, I hope to enter my tertiary studies with an open mind. I aspire to discover a real passion that I will enjoy dedicating myself to, and I believe that, thanks to what I have learnt in high school, I will be prepared to adapt to potential changes in perspective. My experience in the music department has also shown me that putting myself outside my comfort zone can develop my character and open new doors. This is a valuable experience that I believe will motivate me to continue to pursue new opportunities as I go through life.”— Bertie Mansfield
Joshua Zahra: “In the future, I aim to study medicine at university and pursue a career as a medical professional whilst hopefully continuing to play football. To achieve these goals, I believe that the time management and study habits that I have developed throughout my time at Toowoomba Grammar School will be crucial to facilitate the maintenance of a balanced lifestyle.”
“Hopefully I’ll pursue a career in the health field, preferably Medicine. Having spent most of my childhood in Toowoomba, I’m passionate about returning here after my training to work as a doctor. I’d like to specialise, though I’m keeping my options open at this stage. My goal is to make a meaningful impact on rural healthcare and work towards bridging the gap in healthcare access and quality between metro and regional areas like Toowoomba.”— Aaron Nelbin
Gurnoor Randhawa: With the ATAR I recieved I should be able to get into the degree I want, I'm hoping to go to James Cook University and do Medicine there. Otherwise I've applied to Monash to study Engineering.
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