Baulkham Hills High School has excelled in the HSC First in Course awards, taking top spot in five subjects as NSW students were honoured today for their academic achievement in 114 courses.

The government selective school took first place in Mathematics Advanced (student Daniel Wang), Economics (Yoel Yoffe), Software Design and Development (Kaleb Liu), Tamil Continuers (Mahathi Ramasubramanian) and Korean Beginners (Nandini Karri).

Premier Dominic Perrottet congratulated the 126 award winners and the 14 schools in the flood-affected Northern Rivers and Hawkesbury regions who received special commendation awards for their resilience in the face of adversity.

“These young people have shown what can be achieved when you combine ability and passion with commitment – qualities that will prove invaluable throughout their careers and lives,” he said.

Baulkham Hills High School principal Wayne Humphreys said his students had gone “above and beyond” and the school expected strong results tomorrow when HSC results were released.

“The results by these students in achieving first place in these five courses is a credit to them and their teachers,” Mr Humphreys said.

“All students at Baulkham Hills High dedicate themselves to doing their very best in their studies.”

The only other NSW school to take more than five first places was Meriden School with six first-in-course awards. Normanhurst Boys High School, a government selective school, scored two first places in Engineering Studies and Geography.

Yoel Yoffe, of Baulkham Hills High School, and James Ruse Agricultural High School student Faiyaaz Karim, who topped Agriculture, are both in Year 11. Faiyaaz completed the HSC Software Design and Development course in Year 10.

Sarah Maikari, of Beverly Hills Girls High School, said her family and teachers helped her to keep inspired and motivated to come first in Business Services Examination. Sarah migrated from Syria with her family in 2008 and hopes to study psychology at university.

Liya Ruan, first in Mathematics Extension 1, is a graduate of Cherrybrook Technology High School and came to Australia from China when she was 11. She has her sights set on an actuary and commerce degree.

The students received their awards at a ceremony today at the University of New South Wales, attended by the Minister for Education and Early Learning, Sarah Mitchell, Department of Education Secretary Georgina Harrisson, and NSW Education Standards Authority chief executive Paul Martin.

Ms Mitchell thanked all the students’ support crew.

“It really is a team effort to get through the HSC,” she said.

“Today we also thank the schools, the teachers and school communities who supported these students throughout their education journey, as well as their parents and carers.”

The First in Course awards for the HSC show a strong performance by comprehensive public schools in Sydney and the regions. Public school students also came first in 30 language courses.

The NSW public school students with First in Course awards are:

• Aboriginal Studies: Alexia Rigoni, Cammeraygal High School (equal first)
• Automotive Examination: Declan Slattery, Coffs Harbour Senior College
• Agriculture: Faiyaaz Karim, James Ruse Agricultural High School
• Business Services Examination: Sarah Maikari, Beverly Hills Girls High School
• Chinese Beginners: Irene Tan, Caringbah High School
• Community and Family Studies: Wenny Fan, Concord High School (equal first)
• Dance: Stella Mackenzie, Northern Beaches Secondary College, Mackellar Girls campus
• Dutch Continuers: Elizabeth Lassing, Mosman High School
• Earth and Environmental Science: Lara White, Newcastle High School (equal first)
• Economics: Yoel Yoffe, Baulkham Hills High School
• Engineering Studies: Angus Stewart, Normanhurst Boys High School
• Filipino Continuers: Jannah Sandara Aquino, Marrickville High School
• French Beginners: Maya Zofia Weiss, Hornsby Girls High School
• Food Technology: Aniek Compton, Cronulla High School (equal first)
• Geography: Sunny Chen, Normanhurst Boys High School
• Human Services Examination: Tayla Hildenbeutel, Blayney High School
• Hindi Continuers: Sharavi Kulkarni, Cheltenham Girls High School
• Italian Continuers: Ava Piazza, Endeavour Sports High School
• Indonesian Beginners: Toby Hill, Macksville High School
• Indonesian Continuers: Nicholas Freedman, Glenwood High School
• Indonesian and Literature: Putu Jayengrani, Chatswood High School
• Investigating Science: Rebecca Owens, Gosford High School (equal first)
• Japanese in Context: Rio Hasegawa, Chatswood High School
• Japanese Continuers: Teresa Jing Yan Li, Hornsby Girls High School
• Japanese Extension: Chris Tao Lin, North Sydney Boys High School
• Khmer Continuers: Nyduchkimhong Vong, Cabramatta High School
• Korean Beginners: Nandini Karri, Baulkham Hills High School and Jerith Benzira Rassou, Hurlstone Agricultural High School (equal first)
• Korean in Context: Sumin Lee, Strathfield Girls High School
• Latin Continuers: Eleanor Barbara McIver, Sydney Girls High School
• Mathematics Extension 1: Liya Ruan, Cherrybrook Technology High School
• Mathematics Advanced: Daniel Wang, Baulkham Hills High School (equal first)
• Modern Hebrew Continuers: Tamar Fleiderman, Rose Bay Secondary College
• Modern Greek Continuers and Modern Greek Extension: Anargyros Efthymiou Kallos, Homebush Boys High School
• Music 1: William Cassell, Barrenjoey High School (equal first)
• Persian Continuers: Seyed Kamyar Hosseini Salkadeh, Killara High School
• Polish Continuers: Marta Gotowka, Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School
• Serbian Continuers: Tijana Jovic, Fort Street High School
• Spanish Extension: Conservatorium High School, Elsa Susnjara
• Software Design and Development: Kaleb Liu, Baulkham Hills High School
• Swedish Continuers: Liam Johansson, Kiama High School
• Russian Continuers: Anna Ivanova, Fort Street High School
• Tamil Continuers: Mahathi Ramasubramanian, Baulkham Hills High School
• Textiles and Design: Tamara McKeon, Engadine High School
• Visual Arts: Tom Buckingham Shum, Turramurra High School
• Vietnamese Continuers: Nhat Van Vy Lieu, St Johns Park High School