Message from the Headmaster

‘Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense?’

James 2:17 (The Message Bible Translation)

Dear Students, Parents and Carers

It has been lovely to welcome back our students and staff and see them commence the annual rhythm of the year. Our return has however been difficult for all, given the tragic death of Charlie McGuiness, a Robson House Boarder who would have been in Year 9 this year. Naturally his parents and siblings are devastated and we have cared for them as best we can, knowing that there is nothing we can do to effectively ease their pain. Mr and Mrs McGuiness have allowed me to share that it was a terrible Side-by-Side vehicle accident.

The wonderful support given to the family, and indeed to other people who are grieving, by our boys, staff and parents is deeply appreciated by the family. Our boys have provided the McGuiness family with the love of the Shore community, and allowed them respect and dignity. Thank you very much to the large number of boys, parents and staff who attended the Memorial Service and thank you especially to the boys for their impeccable behaviour and uniform, and consideration for adults at the service. Estimates of those who were present range from 1,000 – 1,500 people, with many travelling a considerable distance to attend. Our counselling staff and Housemasters have been wonderful in serving the needs of our boys with their own personal bereavement. Currently, discussion is underway as to how to provide a fitting memory of Charlie on our campus.

Academic Results

At the beginning of 2024, we were able to announce that the results of the previous Year 12 were the best in the School’s history. Now, at the beginning of the 2025 school year, we are able to say that last year’s Year 12 students surpassed even this very high mark. Bearing in mind we are a comprehensive school, the results are simply extraordinary.

• 105 of our students gained an ATAR above 90, that is, 50% of our students were in the top 10% of available results in the State and, indeed, the nation.
• Within this statistic, 20 students, that is 10% of our candidature, gained an ATAR above 99, that is in the top 1% of available results.
• Seven students gained an ATAR above 99.9, by definition in the top 0.1%.
• Two students, Michael Kwak and Alan Li achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95, placing them equal first, along with many others, in Australia.
• The average ATAR score within our candidature was 91.83, effectively equal (we could call it a rounding error) with the 91.90 achieved by their predecessors.
• In all other metrics, 2024 Year 12 performed even better than their 2023 predecessors.
• The story of success continues in many other ways. Two of our students came first in NSW in particular subjects, Nathanial Robertson in Drama and Angus Baker in PDHPE.
• In fact, in Personal Development / Health / Physical Education, Shore students occupied three of the top ten places in all of NSW across schools of all sectors and systems.
• 159 of our students had ATARs above 80.
• No one received an ATAR below 50, 50 being the average possible ATAR attainable.

While not all of our students featured in the most laudable statistics above, many overcame considerable disadvantages, whether academic or social, to achieve personal bests and perform really well on their own terms. We are proud of them all.

Magnificent results such as these simply can’t occur without splendid teaching. The incredible successes of last year’s HSC cohort are the boys themselves, who in the main worked very hard, and also of our staff, teaching and professional and operational, who gave above and beyond to the boys. Our partnership with parents and carers has been the other necessary ingredient of their success.

When we combine these results with other academic indicators such as NAPLAN, as well as the wonderful cultural achievements last year, for instance in Music, Drama and Debating, and the fabulous sporting results throughout the year, it can truly be said that Shore is flying! One individual instance is at the end of Term 4, Ethan Zhang, 8EW placed 7th in the National Robotics Competition, and Brian Xu, 8EY, and his team were placed amongst the highest in their National Skills ranking and, as such, both boys have been selected to represent Australia at the World Championships in Dallas, Texas in May.

Growth at Shore

Some of our community may have been taken aback by the criticism of Shore in the media during the holidays for its alleged intention to increase the size of the School by 450 students. In fact, this is leveraging old news. The development application which granted Shore permission to accommodate an extra 450 students at Shore was granted 13 years ago! In order to effect a slight increase, we had to again use this development application to gain permission at State level. Our current plan is for a very slight increase of the order of around 30 students between Kindergarten and Year 12 across both our North Sydney and Northbridge campuses. Shore has no current intention to expand the School substantially. While I cannot commit the School beyond my Headship, it is clear that there is no appetite at School Council to ‘go big’. We wish to maintain the School of a size to facilitate strong pastoral connections. We lack the infrastructure to effect a substantial student increase, even if the School wished to do so.

North Sydney Council and the local resident action group are aware of the limited nature of our plans.

Service Learning

Towards the end of last year, our students were very active under the leadership of Mr Huw Blood (Head of Service Learning) in serving our community. The report I received is in extract below:

• Hundreds of meals were made and served to vulnerable people through Kids Giving Back.
• Thread Together was able to organise, collate and sort significant amounts of clothing for distribution to vulnerable communities.
• Hundreds of lunch meals were made, prepared, and served to vulnerable people through the Surry Hills Salvation Army depot.
• Hundreds of hampers, goods and donated items were packed and organised for Anglicare in their warehouse.
• Hundreds of new trees were planted across much of the Northern Beaches.
• Students learned about The Big Issue, heard stories from lived experiences of patrons and learned much about societal disadvantage and homelessness.
• Shore students were encouraged, supported, and mentored at the K,1,2 Northbridge Campus for a few days by our Senior students.
• Shore students embraced working with disability at Broderick-Gillawarna School, assisting with dancing and music in their Speech Day Presentation.
• A big group of elderly residents at Hunters Hill were engaged, loved, and cared for, by Shore students through games, music, and some refreshing of outdoor areas.
• Over one tonne of collected food and toys were packed, boxed, and taken to the major Anglicare Warehouse in Villawood, as part of the Shore “Toys and Tucker” Appeal.
• 100 care packs were created for a Christmas dinner, for Rough Edges patrons.
• Dr Mansfield took a small group of students to the Salvation Army ‘Hope Dinner’ in which over 120 patrons were served, whilst listening to students Chris Griffiths and Felix Harrop sing/entertain.

It is very pleasing to observe that we are applying the prescription of the New Testament writer (and one of Jesus’ disciples) James.

14-17 Dear friends, do you think you’ll get anywhere in this if you learn all the right words but never do anything? Does merely talking about faith indicate that a person really has it? For instance, you come upon an old friend dressed in rags and half-starved and say, “Good morning, friend! Be clothed in Christ! Be filled with the Holy Spirit!” and walk off without providing so much as a coat or a cup of soup—where does that get you? Isn’t it obvious that God-talk without God-acts is outrageous nonsense? James 2:14-17 (The Message Bible Translation)

Staffing

We have quite a small number of new permanent staff this year, for the very good reason that very few staff departed last year. This stability is very welcome. Some of those who are new are in fact on temporary contracts to fill maternity leave and long service leave vacancies. One of the significant long service leave positions is that of our Chaplain, Rev Anthony Benn, who will be returning from leave at the beginning of next term. Our Assistant Chaplain, Mr John Sheldon has stepped into the top role for this time and is being ordained as an Anglican Minister by the Archbishop in one week from now. We congratulate Mr Sheldon on his significant journey through teacher training and experience, theological study and now ordination.

Our Enrolments team has been strengthened by the appointment of Mrs Robyn Pedley as Director of Admissions. This work will complement the work done by Mrs Vickii Scott in Enrolments, as the Admissions portfolio will concentrate on the whole “customer journey” of parents from application through confirmation to commencement. Mrs Pedley is in her third school in this role, after significant success in the first two.

At the end of last year, our Acting Deputy Head Academic, Mr Matt Bentley, migrated, at least for the near future, to the United Arab Emirates, where his wife has been working through all of 2024. We have appointed Mr Andrew Holland as Acting Deputy Head for the next two years. This long tenure in an acting position is at the request of our Headmaster elect, Dr Peter Miller, as he would like to see the School in operation for 12 months after he assumes the leadership of the School at the beginning of 2026, prior to making major decisions on staffing. For this reason, Ms Lisette Atkinson will act as Head of Mathematics for the next two years in what is substantively Mr Holland’s position.

Our incoming Director of Boarding, Mr Daniel Bradford is serving out the remainder of his contract as Director of Boarding at St Stanislaus’ College, in Bathurst, and will commence at Shore next Term. In the meantime, Mr Werner Pienaar is acting in this role.

Already we are heading into mid-February and the year will fairly quickly get away from us all. My encouragement to the boys will be to use the time well.

It is nice to be back.

Dr John Collier
Headmaster