Specialist high schools teach the NSW Board of Studies core curriculum while also placing emphasis on a particular area of learning. This type of school may be beneficial for your child if they show talent for and wish to specialise in the area of creative arts, performing arts, sports, technology or languages. A sports high school, for example, may be suitable for your child if they show the potential to reach elite sports level.
Creative and performing arts high schools provide opportunities for students to pursue excellence within these fields while studying the core curriculum prescribed by the Board of Studies. These schools offer a specialised environment. They have performance and creative spaces, lighting and sound systems, dance studios and specialist teachers.
Each school’s facilities are tailored to the particular area of specialty. Entry to a specialist school is based on the student meeting certain criteria. For entry to a performing arts school, for example, the application process may include an audition.
Distance education centres are also part of the network of specialist high schools.
For further information, go to www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/types/index.php
Creative and performing arts high schools
Campbelltown Performing Arts High School
Conservatorium High School
Granville South Creative and Performing Arts High School
Hunter School of the Performing Arts
Ku-ring-gai Creative Arts High School
Nepean High School for the Creative and Performing Arts
Newtown High School of the Performing Arts
Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School
Wollongong High School of the Performing Arts
Sports high schools
Endeavour Sports High School
The Hills Sports High School
Hunter Sports High School
Illawarra Sports High School
Matraville Sports High School
Narrabeen Sports High School
Westfields Sports High School
Technology high schools
There are specialist technology high schools covering technology, rural technology and marine technology.
Technology high schools have a whole school focus on technology across all Key Learning Areas. Students learn to select and use a wide range of technologies. An emphasis is placed on the impact of technology on the environment and society. This is not at the exclusion of any subject areas. These schools all offer a comprehensive curriculum, but there is a commitment to using and fostering an understanding of new technologies in all areas of study.
Canobolas Rural Technology High School, Orange
Cherrybrook Technology High School
Doonside Technology High School
East Hills Boys Technology High School
East Hills Girls Technology High School
Eden Marine Technology High School
Glendale Technology High School
Gymea Technology High School
Keira Technology High School
Macquarie Boys Technology High School
Miller Technology High School
Rutherford Technology High School
Waratah Technology Campus (Callaghan College)
Language high Schools
Language high schools are comprehensive high schools that provide students with an opportunity to study at least two languages other than English. They ensure continuity of study to the Higher School Certificate. A flexible curriculum allows some students to undertake in-depth language study for an extended period and/or to study more than one language.
Language high schools develop and implement innovative methods of languages and teaching and offer assistance to other schools in this field.
Language high schools do not offer all languages and many specialise in only a few. However, where there is student interest in languages not available at the school, students may apply to study the language through The Open High School or Saturday School of Community Languages.
Of course, substantial language programs are also provided by many other schools, both government and non-government.
Some schools provide opportunities to study languages spoken by significant numbers of the student population.
For further information about languages taught at schools in your area, visit www.curriculumsupport.education.nsw.gov.au/secondarylanguages
Saturday School of Community Languages Saturday School of Community Languages teaches languages to students from government and non-government secondary schools or from TAFE HSC programs who wish to study their background community language to Record of School Achievement (RoSA) and Higher School Certificate level but are unable to do so at their home school.
Courses are available in 24 languages to Higher School Certificate level. These include Arabic, Armenian, Bengali (Bangla), Bosnian, Chinese, Croatian, Dutch, Filipino, Hindi, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Macedonian, Modern Greek, Maltese, Persian, Polish, Portuguese, Serbian, Spanish, Turkish, Ukrainian and Vietnamese. A Bosnian class is also on offer at Liverpool Girls High. There are approximately 3400 students enrolled in the Saturday school in Years 7 to 12 at the following campuses:
Arthur Phillip High School Ashfield Boys High School Bankstown Girls High School Birrong Boys High School Birrong Girls High School Chatswood High School Dulwich High Kogarah High Liverpool Boys High School Liverpool Girls High School Merewether High School Randwick North High School St George Girls High School Strathfield Girls High School Smiths Hill High School The Hills Sports High School The Saturday School of Community Languages can be contacted on (02) 9886 7505
or www.sscl.schools.nsw.edu.au