The most popular Sydney selective schools revealed

Baulkham Hills High is the most popular first-choice school for students vying to enter the selective system, with almost double the number of first preferences than top-performing HSC school North Sydney Boys.

Data obtained under freedom of information laws reveals 1645 applicants placed Baulkham Hills High as their first choice when attempting to secure a spot in a selective school for next year.

Of the state’s 21 fully selective schools, Penrith High and Sydney Boys High were second and third most popular, each with more than 1000 applicants placing those schools as their first preference.

There were 860 applicants who named North Sydney Boys as their first-choice preference for entry into the selective school system next year. It was the seventh most popular first-choice school.

James Ruse, which ended its 27-year run as the highest-ranked HSC school last year, was fourth with 961 students naming it their top preference for next year. North Sydney Boys and North Sydney Girls were the eighth and ninth most popular schools.

More than 18,500 students sat the selective schools test in May, competing for about 4200 spots in academically selective fully or partially selective schools.

While many public comprehensive schools in high-growth suburbs are operating at double or triple their enrolment caps, an unchanged number of selective schools places has intensified already fierce competition for entry.

Parents and students can choose up to three schools, listed in order of preference. Offers are made based on test performance and the order of school choices.

A NSW Education Department spokesperson said the test performance needed to get an offer differed at each school and changed from year to year. “This is because offers are based on the number of student candidates, their test performance and available places at the school.”

The department no longer publishes minimum entry – or cut-off scores – needed for selective schools. Instead, parents are given “performance bands” which provide a ballpark measure of a child’s test performance.

Education analysts previously warned a lack of transparency around entry requirements has led coaching colleges to capitalise on parents’ anxiety by marketing their own league tables.

Baulkham Hills High principal Wayne Humphreys said his school had been consistently popular among parents during his decade as head.

“About 30 or 40 per cent of students live within 15 kilometres of the school. Population growth in the area has contributed to very high demand, but we are also a larger school than other selectives,” he said.

“We do have students coming from Gosford, the Blue Mountains, from Campbelltown, which means students can spend hours on public transport. Being a larger school does allow us to have a broader curriculum, broad experiences for kids and extracurricular activities.”

Humphreys said the school offered accelerated HSC subjects in years 9 and 10. “If we didn’t run them as accelerated subjects, the kids wouldn’t choose them,” he said.

“A typical selective school student will take extension 2 maths, physics, chemistry and economics for the HSC. So if we can offer these accelerated courses that give students a really broad tapestry of subjects.”

Baulkham Hills and Sydney Boys High enrol about 1200 students, taking 180 new year 7 pupils each year. More than one-third of students applying for selective schools come from Sydney’s north and western suburbs.

North Sydney Boys and Girls, Penrith High and Fort Street have about 900 students enrolled.

“Baulkham Hills is surrounded by public comprehensive schools that are bursting at the seams like Cherrybrook and Castle Hill High,” Humphreys said. “We also have large private schools including King’s and Tara near us.”

He said while there was intense competition for places, some students could use offers to attempt to gain entry to private schools.

“We have kids who will get accepted, and then will take their acceptance letter and auction it off and see what they can get,” he said.

North Sydney Boys topped the Herald’s HSC rankings for the first time last year, outranking James Ruse. For next year, 860 applicants placed North Sydney Boys first.

Australian Tutoring Association chief executive Mohan Dhall said parents chose schools based on perception of results and location.

“By capping the numbers, the department is effectively trying to stop more gifted kids moving into the selective system. They have a problem with segregation in that selective schools pull the brightest away from comprehensives,” he said.

“Some parents also prefer a co-ed school. And there can be a reluctance to put the top-ranked academic schools as first choice because they think it’s unrealistic to expect to get a place.”

A department spokesperson said there were no plans to increase places in the selective system.

“The government is committed to ensuring all NSW public schools deliver high potential and gifted education. Work is currently under way on these new and improved offerings.”

Start the day with a summary of the day’s most important and interesting stories, analysis and insights. Sign up for our Morning Edition newsletter.