Perseverance in Learning

As the final term unfolds, the secondary community at Penrith Anglican College finds itself in the midst of exam season. Many families are immersed in a rhythm of revision, preparation, and reflection. For students, this time is not just about testing knowledge and understanding, it’s about demonstrating perseverance, one of our school values.

Across Years 7 to 10 and for our outgoing HSC cohort, students are engaging in the challenging work of consolidating their learning from the year. They’re organising notes, experimenting with study techniques, and pushing through moments of uncertainty. Whether it’s flashcards, mind maps, teaching parents, or rewriting summaries, each student is learning how to learn and learning how to persist.

Final exams are not the ultimate measure of academic success. They are one piece of a broader assessment puzzle that helps teachers understand what students know and where they can grow. This data informs how we shape future learning experiences to meet the needs of every individual child. For our HSC students it can be tempting to measure success by the outcome of the HSC exams, but thankfully, life is not determined by a collection of exams close to our 18th birthday. 

Examination success looks different for everyone. For some, it’s achieving top marks, for others it’s improving on last year’s results and for others still it’s simply showing up and giving it a go. Students are choosing effort over avoidance, and persistence over procrastination. These moments of trying, failing, adjusting, and trying again is where perseverance and learning happens.

Learning is hard. It requires struggle, resilience, and a willingness to wrestle with complex ideas. In a world that often suggests young people should have an easy path, we know that growth comes through challenge. Exams offer an opportunity for students to refine their thinking and take pride in their progress.

As we move through this season, we celebrate the perseverance of our students, their courage to keep going, their commitment to improvement, and their determination to grow. These qualities will serve them far beyond the classroom, shaping them into reflective, resilient, relational and resourceful learners for life.