Announcing the winners of the 2024 ACER Advance Awards for Schools

The ACER Advance Awards assess Literacy and Numeracy and are open to students in years 7 to 9. ACER is pleased to award 4 school winners across two categories, rewarding both the total number of awards, and the percentage of awards achieved by the entrants.

This free competition provides schools with an opportunity to highlight student achievement while engaging learners with higher-order questions and complex problem-solving tasks that showcase their skills and knowledge. The Literacy and Numeracy scores are combined to determine each participant's overall award level.

ACER’s Director of School and Early Childhood Education Services, Dr Jarrod Hingston, commended students for their participation and achievement, highlighting the rigorous nature of the competition.  

‘The ACER Advance Awards challenge students to apply their literacy and numeracy skills in complex, real-world contexts. It’s fantastic to see so many students engaging in this opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities,’ Dr Hingston said.   

‘A well-earned congratulations to all participants and especially to last year’s school category winners – Melbourne Grammar School, McKinnon Secondary College, Mount Stromlo High School, and St Andrews Christian College.’ 

If your school would like to take part, registrations are now open for this year’s awards, which will run from 17 February to 18 April.   

Category winners  

This year, the category of ‘highest total number of High Distinctions and above’ was replaced by awarding both first and second in the ‘highest total number of Distinctions and above’ category.  

Highest percentage of High Distinctions   

Melbourne Grammar School, Victoria; 15% of entrants received a High Distinction  

Highest total number of Distinctions and above  

First:  

McKinnon Secondary College, Victoria; 11 Distinctions; 2 x High Distinctions

Second (tied): 

Mount Stromlo High School, Australian Capital Territory; 10 Distinctions; 1 x High Distinction

St Andrews Christian College, Preston, Victoria; 11 Distinctions

Participating schools 2024  

We celebrate all schools who took part in the 2024 administration across terms 3 and 4.  We have listed all the participating schools and indicated the number of awards for Distinction and High Distinction  achieved by each school.  

Australian Capital Territory 

Mount Stromlo High School; 10 Distinctions; 1 x High Distinction 

New South Wales  

Australian International Academy 

Calderwood Christian School; 1 x Distinction

James Sheahan Catholic High School; 2 x Distinctions

MacKillop College, Bathurst; 5 x Distinctions 

Sapphire Coast Anglican College 

St Andrews College, Marayong; 2 x Distinctions

St Matthews Catholic School, Mudgee; 3 x Distinctions

Queensland 

Carmel College, Thornlands 

Glasshouse Christian College; 2 x Distinctions

Holy Spirit College, Mount Pleasant; 5 x Distinctions

Ipswich Girls' Grammar School; 1 x Distinction

St Mary's College, Maryborough 

Trinity College, Beenleigh; 1 x Distinction

South Australia 

St Joseph's School, Clare; 2 x Distinctions

Tasmania 

Glenora District School 

Mackillop Catholic College, Mornington; 2 x Distinctions; 2 x High Distinctions 

Victoria 

Al-Taqwa College; 7 x Distinctions

Carranballac P-9 College; 3 x Distinctions

Christian College Geelong; 8 x Distinctions; 2 x High Distinctions 

Marian College, Ararat 

McClelland College 

McKinnon Secondary College; 11 x Distinctions; 2 x High Distinctions 

Melbourne Grammar School; 7 x Distinctions, 2 x High Distinctions

Mentone Girls' Grammar School; 4 x Distinctions; 1 x High Distinction

Monbulk College 

Our Lady of Sion College, Box Hill; 3 x Distinctions

Padua College; 4 x Distinctions; 1 x High Distinction 

Parade College; 10 x Distinctions

St Andrews Christian College, Wantirna South; 11 x Distinctions

St John's College, Preston; 2 x Distinctions

St Mary MacKillop College, Swan Hill; 2 x Distinctions 

Trinity College, Colac; 1 x Distinction

Yarrabing Secondary College; 1 x Distinction

Western Australia 

Aranmore Catholic College 

The competition is running again in term 1 2025. Find out more and register your school here: www.acer.org/advance-awards-for-schools