PLC Armidale ranks among NSW’s best

For 139 years, PLC Armidale has equipped young women of character to lead lives of significance and continues to set the benchmark for academic excellence in the New England North West, delivering outstanding results in both the 2025 Higher School Certificate (HSC) and NAPLAN, and reinforcing its standing as one of regional NSW’s leading schools.

In the 2025 HSC, 46 per cent of PLC Armidale students achieved an ATAR above 85, with 27 per cent above 90 and 19 per cent above 95. Joint Dux Amelie van der Werf achieved the highest ATAR in the region with 99.1.

PLC Armidale was ranked 69th in NSW on The Daily Telegraph list of high-performing schools based on the proportion of Band 6 results and was the highest-ranked school in northern NSW.

More than half the cohort were named NSW Distinguished Achievers, reflecting the College’s sustained academic rigour and personalised approach to learning.

2025 NAPLAN data on the ACARA MySchool website confirms PLC Armidale as the strongest-performing school overall in the region, with students achieving results above the national average and those of similar backgrounds across most tested areas in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

Principal Mrs Nicola Taylor said the results demonstrate a consistent educational advantage.

“These outcomes are the result of academic rigour, strong pastoral care and a culture where every girl is known, supported and challenged to do her best,” Mrs Taylor said.

 “With an average student-to-teacher ratio of 6 to 1, our size allows us to provide genuinely personalised learning pathways that help each girl reach her full potential.”

The College offers a dynamic all-girls education from Pre-Kinder to Year 12 for both day and boarding students, with boarding available from Year 5 and it frequently features in the top 200 schools in NSW for HSC achievement, with approximately 95 per cent of graduates progressing to university study, with around one-third pursuing science-related degrees.

Mrs Taylor said students benefit from a low-density, all-girls environment that builds confidence and aspiration.

“Students educated in a focused all-girls setting are more confident asking questions, particularly in mathematics and science, and they develop higher occupational aspirations throughout their schooling,” she said.

Academic strength is complemented by the College’s distinctive five-year Explore Serve Journey (ESJ) experiential learning program, integrating service, leadership and outdoor education through carefully designed rites of passage.

“Our ESJ program is intentionally designed to support growth and transformation in the context of a strong learning community,” Mrs Taylor said.

Head of Senior School Mrs Kate Clynch said success across academic, creative, sport, outdoor challenge and vocational pathways highlights the breadth of opportunity available at PLC Armidale.

“Our students excel not only in extension academics but also in creative and performance subjects, STEM disciplines, sport and service learning, supported by expert teachers and small class sizes,” Mrs Clynch said.

The College’s 17-hectare garden and parkland campus provides a tranquil learning environment that supports both wellbeing and high performance. 

Full, weekly and casual boarding students enjoy a family atmosphere led by Heads of Boarding Sam Azon-Jacometti who lives onsite with his wife and young daughters, and Miss Margaret Latham who lives in Boarding House with the girls – and has done so for more than 20 years.

PLC Armidale also offers PLC Pathways, a 12-month intensive English (ELICOS) and cultural familiarisation residential program for international secondary students, further enriching the College’s globally connected community.

Underpinned by a strong literacy foundation, respectful relationships, and an extensive co-curricular program — including STEM, Creative and Performing Arts, Duke of Edinburgh, service learning, and the award-winning livestock team — PLC Armidale develops confident, capable young women of character, ready to thrive.

The College motto, Ad Astra — to the stars — reflects its enduring commitment to academic excellence and personal growth.

Families are invited to experience the PLC Armidale advantage first hand at the Principal’s Tour and Senior School 2027 Scholarship Examination on Thursday, 19 February 2026, offering an opportunity to explore the campus, meet staff and students, and learn more about academic pathways, boarding and scholarship opportunities.

Equip your daughter for a life of significance at PLC Armidale