Students from a Hunter Valley school have achieved top marks in New South Wales, with two pupils being named equal first in the state for the HSC Financial Services course.
Virtual Classroom Delivers Top Marks
The outstanding results belong to Bonnita Earl and Haigh Proctor, who both studied the subject virtually through OneSchool Global Maitland. Ms Earl, who is based in Albury, travelled to Sydney for the first in course ceremony held at the University of New South Wales on Wednesday, December 17, 2025.
"It's very exciting," Ms Earl said. "I was a little surprised when I found out but it feels really good." The recent graduate explained she only discovered her achievement the day before the ceremony but was thrilled to celebrate in person.
Passion for Numbers Leads to Success
Ms Earl shared that her success stemmed from a genuine interest in the subject matter. "It was mainly about accounting, and I just really love working with numbers, and I found it really satisfying," she said. Her studies were conducted via Zoom with her Maitland-based teacher, Andra Rensburg, despite the more than 700-kilometre distance between them.
"I'm really grateful that I was able to learn from Mrs Rensburg despite her being more than 700 kilometres between us," Ms Earl stated, highlighting the effectiveness of the support she received. "There was a lot of support which led to this result."
Alongside Financial Services, Ms Earl's HSC subjects included Standard English, Physics, Advanced Maths, Business Services, and Modern History. She was eagerly awaiting her ATAR results, which were due to be released on Thursday, December 18.
A Teacher's Remarkable Track Record
Teacher Andra Rensburg has now guided eight of her students to a first in course ranking for NSW. This year's achievement marks the sixth consecutive year that one of her students has topped the state in this specific subject.
"This result is the culmination of 12 months of hard work by Bonnita and Haigh - and it is so exciting to have two students at the top," Mrs Rensburg said. She expressed her enthusiasm for their future, adding, "I look forward to seeing how they go on to use their talents in their lives after school, whether that's through further studies or going into the workforce."
For Bonnita Earl, those future plans are already set. She has secured a job as a financial administrator in her hometown of Albury for the coming year.
The students attend OneSchool Global, which operates 31 campuses across Australia and is associated with the Plymouth Brethren Christian Church community. This result underscores the potential of dedicated virtual learning programs to deliver exceptional educational outcomes across vast distances.
