Newington’s guiding educational pedagogy is to help our students become the best versions of themselves they can be, ready to contribute to the future. Committing to an Extension subject in their Senior years can play a part.

In a clear case of doing exactly what it says on the tin, Senior students at Newington who take an Extension subject in Years 11 and 12 achieve results they may not have expected previously, while also improving and extending overall skill and academic performance along the way.

Dr Michael Marokakis, Deputy, Academic (K–12) at Newington, says an explicit drive to help Senior students and their families understand these benefits in their final years of schooling at Newington, is delivering increasing academic excellence, and personal achievement.

Take 2025; a remarkable year in terms of breaking academic ceilings at Newington. This class of Year 12 students achieved a median ATAR of almost 90 (89.65), with 68 per cent of HSC students’ results placed in the top two bands, 5 and 6.

Key to this excellence, says Dr Marokakis, is the fact that 60 per cent of those HSC students engaged in at least one Extension subject, with 90 per cent of results in Extension subjects placing in the top two performance bands, E3 and E4.

‘Promoting the benefits of students doing an Extension course in Years 11 and 12 is in part about students choosing to strengthen themselves and their academic outcomes. Time and again, we see the students who take on that challenge, achieve things they may not otherwise have expected of themselves,’ says Dr Marokakis.

‘And yet, as well as being an excellent individual endeavour, the effect of more students doing Extension subjects is that it encourages the whole cohort to see beyond the ceiling they might have set for themselves.’

An assumption that Extension subjects work best for students at the very top of their year in terms of contribution to their final ATAR result, is incorrect, says Dr Marokakis.

‘When we look for instance at a Year 10 cohort’s performances and investigate how they achieved at the end of Year 12, we notice something fundamental. There is a significant difference in average ATARs between students who undertook at least one Extension subject and those who did not.

‘And this finding is true whether that student was achieving academically at the top end of Year 10 or not. What this tells us is that all students can benefit from challenging themselves in this way. We do this through extension and giving our students the understanding and agency to stretch themselves.’

Selecting to study English Extension 1 in Year 11 is a case in point, he continues.

‘The more sophisticated writing and reading a student engages in through English Extension 1, alongside the work they do on their own writing through this subject, contributes to all their other subjects in the humanities. There are very definite correlations. Similarly, Maths Extension subjects will serve a student who is doing Physics or Engineering as they are complementary.’

Ms Amanda Mamo, Acting Head of Mathematics at Newington, concurs.

‘Extension 1 and Extension 2 Mathematics push students beyond procedural competence into higher order mathematical thinking, practicing proof, rigorous argument, and the capacity to work through sustained, multi-step problems,’ she says.

‘This academic stretch matures a student’s approach to learning more broadly as it builds resilience with difficulty, develops precision in reasoning, and fosters the discipline to persist through content that doesn’t yield easy answers. For Newington students, this translates directly into stronger ATARs and a wider range of accessible university pathways, particularly in STEM-based degrees where a demonstrated capacity in higher mathematics is often a prerequisite or a point of differentiation in competitive entry.’

Students can also take Extension subjects in Music, History, Languages and Science at Newington.

Ms Smriti Mediratta, Head of Science at Newington, agrees that the Extension stretch increases student confidence in their own ability to achieve.

‘Extension Science, for instance, is the only HSC science subject that allows students to design and conduct an authentic scientific research project in an area they are passionate about.

‘In completing such a large undertaking, students develop the analytical, research and communication skills expected at university level while building independence, persistence and confidence in tackling complex problems. These capabilities not only strengthen HSC performance but also prepare students for success in competitive tertiary courses and future careers in science, medicine, engineering and beyond.’

Dr Marokakis says encouraging all Newington students to stretch their academic capabilities to achieve their very best for themselves and their fellow students is fundamental to the Learning and Teaching framework from Kindergarten to Year 12 which underwrites Newington’s increasing academic success.

Did you know?

In 2025:

• 100 per cent of Mathematics Extension 2 students achieved a mark in the top two bands and 100 per cent of students in Latin Extension achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• 100 per cent of Music Extension and Music Extension 1 achieved a mark in the top two bands and 96 per cent of students who studied History Extension 1 achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• 100 per cent of English Extension 2 students at Newington achieved a mark in the top two bands and 95 per cent of English Extension 1 students achieved a mark in the top two bands.
• Three Newington HSC students achieved First in State in a subject including Physics.
• Four Newington HSC students ranked in the Top 10 in NSW in a subject.
• Nine Newington HSC students were named All-Round HSC Achievers, realising a result in the highest band possible (Band 6 or Band E4) in 10 or more units of study.
• 108 Newington HSC students were named on the HSC Distinguished Achievers List, realising a Band 6 or E4 in one or more subjects.
• 100 per cent of Newington HSC English Extension 2 and Newington HSC Mathematics Extension 2 students achieved a mark in the top two bands compared to NSW results of 88 per cent and 84 per cent.
• Four Newington International Baccalaureate students achieved a perfect score of 45/45 and another five achieved a near perfect score of 44/45.