Penrith Selective High School

Penrith Selective High School
Location
Penrith, New South Wales Australia
Coordinates	33°45′23″S 150°42′23″E
Information
Former names	Penrith High School (1950–2011) Penrith Academically Selective High School (2011–2016)
Type	Selective, public, day school
Motto	Template:Lang-la (Striving for the highest)
Established	1950 (1950)
Educational authority	New South Wales Department of Education
Principal	Mark Long
Enrolment	922 (2018)
Campus type	Suburban
Colour(s)	Sky blue, grey, yellow, black, white, and royal blue
Website	penrith-h.schools.nsw.gov.au

Penrith Selective High School (PSHS) is a government, co-educational, academically selective, secondary day school in Penrith, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1950 and operated by the New South Wales Department of Education, the school caters for approximately 925 students from Year 7 to Year 12.

Penrith Selective High School has consistently performed among the top schools in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The classes of 2010, 2017, and 2018 share the school's highest ranking at 27th in New South Wales, based on Higher School Certificate results. In 2018, over 90 students received an Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) of over 90 and the median ATAR was 91.95.

History

Penrith Selective High School was first opened in the 1930s as an intermediate school on the land adjacent to its current location (now Penrith Public School). During that time, Penrith Selective High School's current location was occupied by a mansion known as The Towers. During the 1940s, the mansion and the land was sold to the Department of Education, who demolished the mansion and built Penrith High School, which was officially established in 1950. The school became academically selective in 1989.

Two of the original foundations of the mansion have been preserved and remain in the school grounds. Additionally, the original plaque commemorating the opening of Penrith Intermediate School has been transferred into the present school grounds, where it currently resides in the school's archives. In commemoration of The Towers mansion, the in-school debating and public speaking competitions go by the same name.

Enrolment

The students of Penrith Selective High School come from an area extending from the Blue Mountains to North Sydney, from the Hawkesbury District to Luddenham. The school has seen significant intake from the City of Blacktown.

Year 7

All Year 7 enrolments are managed by the High Performing Students Unit (formerly, the Selective Schools Unit) of the NSW Department of Education. In October each year, application forms for the selective high schools test are available from government primary schools and from the Selective Schools Unit for Year 6 students and are due to be returned in November of that year.

Years 8-12

Applications for entry into Years 8-12 are managed by the school, in line with High Performing Students Unit guidelines. Only a small number of places are available each year since vacancies only occur when a current student leaves the school. Application packages become available from the school's website or the Selective Schools Unit in Term 2 (June) each year and are returned to the school, along with supporting documentation, by the end of July. The deadline date for application each year is determined by the Selective Schools Unit. The selection committee arranges the applications in order of academic merit based upon the evidence submitted. The committee considers material that provides evidence of high academic achievement and participation in extracurricular activities. Residential status requirements and family placement claims follow the Year 7 entry criteria. Students must be either Australia citizens or permanent residents.

Facilities

The school has a gymnasium, a field with multi-sport goal posts (soccer and rugby, although contact sport is strictly prohibited), a smaller field with portable hockey goal posts, and two basketball courts. In addition, the school has five computer labs, a large space for performing arts, and a school hall which is part of the original structure of Penrith Selective High School, built in the early 1950s. The hall can accommodate approximately 450 seated guests, usually used for official school functions, performing arts exhibitions, and information evenings. The Penrith Selective High School Parents and Citizens Association (P&C) operates a school canteen, from which all proceeds go towards improving the educational experience of PSHS students.

House system

At the beginning of Year 7, all Penrith Selective High School students are placed in one of the following four houses, sorted by last name:

House	Mascot	Colour
Blaxland	Bees
Lawson	Lions
Mitchell	Magic
Wentworth	Wolves

Every year three sporting carnivals (Swimming, Athletics, and Cross Country) where students compete to earn house points. The winner of each carnival and of the overall house championship is announced each year.

Staff

As of 2018, the current staff at Penrith High School include the following:

Senior Executive

• Principal – Mark Long
• Deputy Principal – Brian Ferguson
• Deputy Principal – Jaclyn Cush (relieving for Tracey Cunningham)

Notable people

• Linda Burney – former Member of the New South Wales Parliament for Canterbury, and current Member of the Australian Parliament for Barton
• Kevin Crameri OAM – former mayor of Penrith
• Joyce Fardell – former teacher librarian
• Tony Lauer APM – former Commissioner of the New South Wales Police
• Ognjen Matic – Australian handball player
• Grigor Taylor – actor, Matlock Police, Silent Number and Glenview High
• Ray Watson AM – Judge who reformed family law to create no-fault divorce.
• Penelope Wensley AC – former Governor of Queensland
• Richard Wilson – actor, The Proposition and Clubland

See also

• List of government schools in New South Wales
• List of selective high schools in New South Wales
• Jamison High School

External links

• Penrith Selective High School website
• NSW Department of Education and Communities: Penrith High School
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