Baulkham Hills High School

Baulkham Hills High School '
Location
Baulkham Hills, New South Wales
Australia
Coordinates 33°45′5″S 150°59′26″E / 33.75139°S 150.99056°E / -33.75139; 150.99056Coordinates: 33°45′5″S 150°59′26″E / 33.75139°S 150.99056°E / -33.75139; 150.99056
Information
Type Selective, public, Co-educational, Day school
Motto Persevere
Established 1971
Principal Dr Jeanne Bathgate
Teaching staff 83[1]
Grades 7 - 12
Enrolment 1211 (2017)
Campus Urban
Colour(s) Olive Green & Burnt Orange
         
Website baulkhamhillshighschool.com.au

Baulkham Hills High School (colloquially known as Baulko) is an academically selective high school located in Baulkham Hills in Sydney's Hills District. The school was established in 1971 by the New South Wales Department of Education and Training, and currently caters for approximately 1211[2] students from Years 7 to 12.[3][4]

The school is noted for its outstanding academic results. In 2016 and 2017 they were placed 2nd in the HSC in NSW. They are noted as being one of the top 10 performing schools in NSW. In 2010, Baulkham Hills High School was ranked the most popular school in NSW for high school applications.[5] The school celebrated its 40th anniversary in June 2010.

History

Baulkham Hills High School was established in 1971 as a public comprehensive high school. It was officially opened on 23 March 1974 by the then Governor, Sir Roden Cutler.[6] For the first year, students and teachers at the school were relocated to nearby Castle Hill High School whilst Baulkham Hills High School was still under construction. Later, the students were accompanied by students from Model Farms High School as their school was still being built, despite Baulkham Hills High still being incomplete at the time. The school's first selective cohort was in 1990, with all grades being selective by 1995. Over time, the school's academic ranking has improved and in 2009 was ranked 2nd by the Sydney Morning Herald for total number of Distinguished Achievers (DA) for examinations resulting in over 90%.

The school was built on the site of a former orange orchard, with the region having once been a major orange producing area of Sydney. This history is acknowledged by the use of an orange on the school logo. The use of the word 'Persevere' as the school motto encourages students to persevere in all their studies. Acknowledgement of the agricultural history of the area is also reflected in the naming of the four intramural sports houses of the school, which are named after four prominent early European settlers in the area: MacDougall (red), Sutter (blue), Meehan (yellow) and Hughes (green).

Admissions and enrollment

Total enrolment - per year group - in junior years (7-10) is approximately 180 students, and around 200 in senior years (11-12). The total number of enrolments, as of 2017, is 1211 students.

As a selective school, entry into the school in Year 7 is based upon results in a statewide examination known as the Selective High Schools Test. As of 2015, students must achieve a score of at least 235 in this examination to be accepted at the school. Entry into vacant places in later stages is based on a reserve list and other criteria - mainly reports and academic achievements from previous years.

Facilities

Staff Rooms

There are eleven staff rooms for all of the faculties.

  • English (upstairs C Block)
  • History (downstairs D Block)
  • Industrial Arts (upstairs F Block)
  • Languages Other Than English (upstairs D Block)
  • Mathematics (upstairs B Block)
  • Music (upstairs G Block)
  • PDHPE (new Science Block)
  • Science (new Science Block)
  • Social Sciences (upstairs D Block)
  • Support Unit (downstairs C Block)
  • Home Economics and Visual Arts (downstairs G Block)

Sporting

The school has a large gymnasium which contains one full-sized basketball court or three volleyball courts. The school also has two full-sized sporting fields, as well as two outdoor basketball courts which were recently resurfaced. There is also a weights room with gym-style equipment for PD/H/PE classes, Year 11 and Year 12 students.

In December 2012, a new steel shelter was constructed over the basketball courts to provide cover from rain.

Sport

The school holds annual sports carnivals for swimming, cross country and athletics. Selected students compete in wider regional competitions, from Zone and Area to the CHS (Combined High Schools). There are 2 teachers who are the sports organisers overseeing sport.

Tri-School Tournament

The Tri-School Tournament was first held in 2011 between Baulkham Hills, James Ruse Agricultural High School and Girraween High School. Teams from each school participated in basketball, soccer and touch football. Baulkham Hills obtained first place in both the 2011 and 2012 tournaments.[7]

Quad School Tournament

Starting 2013, Penrith High School joined the sporting tournament previously known as the Tri-School Tournament between Baulkham Hills High School, James Ruse Agricultural High School and Girraween High School. In addition to basketball, soccer and touch football, Penrith hosted table tennis in 2013. Again, Baulkham Hills High School won the tournament.[8] The competition returned in 2014, with Baulkham Hills hosting basketball, Girraween hosting touch football, James Ruse hosting soccer and Penrith hosting volleyball. Again, Baulkham Hills High School won the tournament. In 2015, 2016, and 2017, the Quad School Tournament continued and all three years were won by Baulko

Academic

A variety of academic extra-curricular activities are offered, in various subject areas.

Sport

In addition to sporting competitions and tournaments such as Zone, Area and CHS, the school offers additional sporting activities to selected students, including:

Creative and Performing Arts

The school offers various activities in the field of creative and performing arts, including:

  • School Bands, including Beginner, Junior, Senior, Concert and Stage Band
  • Orchestra
  • School Choir
  • Music Nights
  • Variety Night
  • Drama Club
  • Photography Club
  • Art Club

Notable teachers

  • Gordon Smith (ret.) - Wrestler, representing Australia in the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
  • Dr Louise Wakeling (ret.) - Poet, author of Small Rebellions (1984), Medium Security (2002) and Paragliding in a War Zone (2008)
  • Jacob Groth - Athletics Australia sprinter representing Australia in the 100m & 200m sprint at the International Junior Athletics Championships.

Alumni

See also

References

  1. ↑ {{cite web :)|url=http://www.baulkhamhillshighschool.com.au/our_school/resources/ASR%202016.pdf|title=School Profile: Baulkham Hills High School |accessdate=12 June 2017 |work=School profile |publisher=BHHS}}
  2. ↑ "School profile | My School". www.myschool.edu.au. Retrieved 2018-05-30.
  3. ↑ Gerard Noonan (2002-11-19). "More than maths adds up to success". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  4. ↑ "Lure of opportunity makes it worth going the distance". Sydney Morning Herald. 2005-11-28. Retrieved 2010-03-15.
  5. ↑ Anna Patty (2010-08-17). "Sydney schools that top the popularity contest". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 2014-03-14.
  6. ↑ "History: Baulkham Hills High School".
  7. ↑ "Hills News: Baulkham Hills High finishes in first place". Hills News. 2011. Retrieved 2011-08-14.
  8. ↑ "Daily Telegraph: Baulkham Hills High School win inaugural quad-school". Daily Telegraph. 2013-05-20. Retrieved 2013-06-10.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.