VCE Achievements in English Studies (English and Literature)
Ruyton is committed to ensuring that each girl has the opportunity to achieve personal excellence and to fulfill her academic potential. Over the years, the record of academic achievements is testimony to the way in which English and Literature support the goals of the School by providing many opportunities for students to excel. The consistently high results in both VCE English and VCE Literature are evidence of the quality of teaching and learning at Ruyton. In 2008, Molly O'Neill was awarded the prestigious Premier's Award for excellence in Literature.
International Competition and Assessments for Schools (ICAS)
For the English skills competition, ICAS assesses reading and language skills in a range of contexts. There are 4 areas of assessment: reading for meaning in literary texts; reading for meaning in factual texts; understanding textual devices; knowledge of syntax; knowledge of vocabulary. The questions require students to locate, identify, interpret, infer and synthesise information in and about texts. Students read a variety of texts which narrate, describe, explain, argue, persuade and review. These texts may include tables, diagrams, maps and other visual information.
Number of Entries for Ruyton and Victoria 2009
| Year 7 | 69 | 5135 |
| Year 8 | 68 | 5503 |
| Year 9 | 64 | 3624 |
| Year 10 | 73 | 2998 |
It is important to note that we enter all our Year 7-10 students in the competition. The figures for Victorian entries have remained fairly consistent over the past 4 years with a significant decrease in the number of students entered at Year 10, suggesting that Victorian entries may be more selective at this level. The graphs below provide data from 2006 – 2009, based on the average test scores of Ruyton students compared with those of Victorian entries. A general trend emerges showing that Ruyton students are achieving higher average scores compared with the cohort of students from Victorian schools who are entered in the competition.