Head of Studies

Open Day Class Areas

I would like to thank all staff and students for their hard work in the preparation leading up to and on Open Day. A special acknowledgement to Mr Gibbins and Ms Axe who took on the planning and coordination of the event. We had plenty of positive feedback of the classroom displays and our educational program.  If you managed to take a look around I hope you enjoyed the day and it was a great opportunity to see the student projects and practical demonstrations.

Year 10 Study Tour

Early next term Study Tour information will be sent out to the parents regarding the tour which occurs from the 6th-10th of December.  Information will include an outline of the visits, activities and charges.  

Year 12 Semester Two Written Exams

Students undertaking Australia Tertiary Admissions Rank (ATAR) subjects will have exams in Week 9 and 10 of this term on the following dates:

Thursday 16th September             Biology

Friday 17th September                   Maths Applications

Monday 20th September               Animal Production Systems

Tuesday 21st September               Plant Production Systems

Wednesday 22nd September       English

All exams will commence at 8.10am and finish at approximately 11.30am.

In accordance with the WA College of Agriculture-Denmark Assessment Policy, all students studying ATAR courses must sit the exam on the day/time specified.  The only exception to this requirement will be if the student has a medical certificate from a doctor confirming that the student was too unwell to participate on the day.  

On completion of their exams students will have free time in the afternoon including the option of going into Denmark, studying for their next exam or relaxing in the College residence.  Day students also have the option of returning home after their exam. The only exception to the above arrangements will be if teachers have requested extra exam revision sessions in the afternoon. 

Year 12 exam revision sessions:

                English  Monday 20th September Period 6 and 7, and

                Tuesday 21st September Period 6 and 8

Scientific Investigation - Effects of NKS fertiliser on plant growth

Recently, the Year 12 General and Year 11 ATAR Plant Production class have conducted an experiment aimed at investigating the impact of nitrogen fertiliser on ryegrass growth. The experiment was replicated three times and the results were collated. NKS32 (24 units of N) fertiliser was selected to conduct the experiment and different rates of fertiliser were measured and applied to different plots of land to determine which rate had the biggest impact on ryegrass growth rates. The different rates of Urea applied involved a controlled group of 0kg per ha and experimental groups of 80kg per ha, 160kg per ha, 240kg per ha, 320kg per ha and 400kg per ha. The trial was run over a period of 32 days and plant biomass was measured at the end of this period. The cut ryegrass was then placed in a kiln to dry and the results were determined by weighing the dry matter in kg per ha. The results were as follows:

This column graph comparatively shows the average amount of dry matter produced by comparing the control group (0kg of fertiliser/ha) and experimental groups (80-400kg of fertiliser/ha). From this graph, the rate of fertiliser application that resulted in the highest growth of pastures was 240kg per ha, which produced an average of 2273kg of dry matter/ha. It can also be surmised that, in general the more fertiliser that was added resulted in an increase in dry matter production, until a point was reached when the applied fertiliser resulted in a decrease in plant yield. The results from this experiment were effective in displaying the effects of fertiliser on plant growth and suggested that the 240kg of NKS32 fertiliser/ha provided plants with sufficient nitrogen for optimal growth. However, although this rate of fertiliser was most effective in overall plant yield, it may not be the best choice economically because of the high quantities required. Additionally, the plants could have been subject to leaching as 180 mm of rain was recorded. Overall, this experiment was engaging, practical and informative and the students personally enjoyed discovering the impacts of fertiliser on plant growth and what applications of fertiliser were most effective. 

2021 Year 12 ATAR Course Written Examination Timetables

From Thursday, 9th September 2021, students will be able to download their Personalised written examinations timetable from the Student Portal at:

The Personalised written examination timetable will contain the date, time and examination centre for student’s written examination. It would also be worth looking at the Rules of Conduct for Year 12 ATAR course examination and 2021 Examination front covers of the examination papers.  See both links below:

Finally I wish all the students to have an enjoyable break and all the best to our Year 12 ATAR students as they prepare for their final exams.