HOW TO GET INTO HORNSBY GIRLS HIGH SCHOOL
Updated April 2020
Hornsby Girls High school is a single sex selective high school that prides itself on academic excellence and a wide range of extra-curricular activities and welfare programs to support the individual student. They are actively supported by their ‘Old Girls Union’ which is comprised of ex-students and the main building of the school is a heritage listed site, emphasising the value of tradition in the school. The minimum entry score to the school in 2019 was 227 out of 300 possible marks. Being a selective school, students are required to sit a selective schools placement test in year 6 in order to apply for a place at the school. 200 marks are determined by the outcome of the test and 100 marks are assessed internally based on students’ academic performance at their primary school.
What is a Selective school, why should I be applying to get my child into one?
Selective Schools are fully government funded schools which group students of high academic potential in order to maximise access to resources that would otherwise be less readily available in regular public schools. Students in selective schools will be able to engage with classmates of high academic calibre and therefore increase their potential for academic growth. Whilst sustained academic excellence within schools is critical, it may not always be enough to gain entry into these schools due to limited places that are offered. Success in the Selective schools placement test is often dependent not only on talent, but hard work and specific methods of practise – many students often work with tutors outside the school curriculum to maximise their chances of gaining entry.
- 20min writing in response to a stimulus
- 40min of multiple choice components in:
- Maths
- Reading Comprehension
- General Ability
At Alchemy tuition, we provide all our tutors with the specific resources to help their students prepare for the selective school exam. Because of our unique private service, our tutors are better able to specifically identify weaknesses in their student’s academic performance, and are therefore able to work towards improving academic performance beyond teaching students understanding of the content. Since the Selective Schools test takes place in a single day and is the direct indicator of successful entry into these schools, there is a lot of pressure to perform well, and often factors unrelated to academic ability can come into play. Our experienced tutors are able to discuss exam techniques and provide advice to better manage the difficulties of sitting major exams as such.
