The 6 Different Types of NSW Selective Schools

Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and are not endorsed by any educational institutions or official bodies. This article is intended for informational purposes and should not be considered as professional advice. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information provided, Bing's Academy makes no guarantees or warranties, express or implied, about the completeness, accuracy, or reliability of this article. Please use your own judgment when interpreting and using this information.

A selective high school is a public high school but has a certain academic requirement in order to get in. Every year, thousands of students do a test in the beginning of year 6 and if they score high enough, they will have the opportunity to join one of these schools. However, it is quite important to know the different types of Selective schools that are on offer, so you have a better understanding of what to apply for.

1. Fully Selective High School

There are 22 High Schools in NSW that are fully selective schools where all the classes are progressed at a faster pace compared to non-selective public schools. This includes a mixture of all boys, all girls as well as mixed-gender coed schools.

2. Partially Selective High Schools

There are 24 partially Selective High Schools in NSW where they may have a portion of a year group being selective while the rest of the grade being non-selective. This is a great alternative if you do not make it into a fully selective high school or if you want to attend a school that is closer to your area.

If by any chance your child was not successful in getting into a selective school at all, attending a partially selective high school in the non-selective classes could be beneficial as your marks can be slightly bumped up for the HSC in year 12 if you choose to do the same subjects as the selective classes in your school due to scaling. If this is a little bit confusing, I am happy to go into more detail in another video later down the line as a portion of your HSC mark is based on your school’s performance.

3. Agricultural Selective High Schools

There are currently 4 high schools that are classified as agricultural. This is Farrer Memorial, Hurlstone, Yanco and James Ruse Agricultural High School. This means that agriculture or farming is a compulsory subject to learn from years 7 to 10. Although the school that I attended Girraween High School had a component where we had to do gardening and look after some farm animals, schools that are specifically focused on agriculture have a much higher emphasis on the subject.

4. Virtual Selective High School

Currently, there is only one high school that is virtual for rural and remote students. They must enrol in year 7 and also attend their local high school. However, they join the selective stream in the key subjects of English, mathematics and science using online learning tools such as Zoom and Google classroom so they can still be accelerated. This is beneficial for students living in Bathurst for instance as they can access a competitive academic program without leaving their homes or community. I will include a link about Aurora College here as well.

5. Conservatorium Selective High School

There is currently only one Selective High School that includes music as a central component and this is the Conservatorium High School. Applicants will need to complete the selective high school exam like with any other school as well as complete a specific application form that is published on their school’s website. It does count towards the number of schools you can apply for so it is critical to only do this if your child already is learning an instrument.

6. Boarding Selective High Schools

There are currently 3 boarder schools that are academically selective and offer places for students to board. This means that students can live at the school on-site and have much easier accessibility to its facilities. This is particularly useful for students who live quite remote and do not wish to attend a virtual selective class with Aurora yet want to still be accelerated. These schools include Hurlstone, Farrer and Yanco Agricultural High School.

In conclusion, there are six distinct types of Selective high schools to choose from here in NSW although some are classified across multiple categories. For instance, James Ruse Agricultural Highschool is both under the agricultural section as well as being a fully selective high school. I hope that provides a bit more insight and clarity compared to what is currently on the NSW Government website as that can be a bit confusing to understand because of the format.

Have any questions or want to know how we help students improve? Connect with us here.