Secondary Schools - Selective High Schools

Selective high schools cater for highly achieving, academically gifted students. These schools can provide intellectual stimulation by grouping gifted and talented students together, concentrating school resources and using specialised teaching methods.

There are:

• Seventeen fully selective high schools. All classes are academically selective.
• Twenty five high schools with selective classes (partially selective). Partially selective high schools have both selective and community classes. (Note: Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus, although partially selective, has selective classes only in Years 11 and 12 and is therefore not included in this application process.
• Four agricultural high schools (three of which offer boarding places). Agricultural high schools are selective high schools that emphasise the study of agriculture, with the boarding sections giving some priority to isolated students.
• One virtual selective class provision offering selective placement in Year 7. For the virtual selective class provision only students intending to enrol in a Western NSW Region government high school are eligible to apply.

Year 7 entry into these schools is determined by the student's results in the Selective High School Placement Test in English (including reading and writing), mathematics and general ability, together with their primary school's assessment of their performance in English and mathematics. Other evidence of academic merit may also be considered. Entry into Years 8 to 12 is determined using criteria developed by each school's selection committee.

Partially selective high schools have both selective and community classes.

Sydney Secondary College Balmain and Leichhardt Campuses cater for students from Years 7 to 10. Students attending Sydney Secondary College Leichhardt or Balmain Campuses in Years 7 to 10 will generally proceed to Sydney Secondary College Blackwattle Bay Campus for Years 11 and 12.