Principal's Message
North Sydney Boys’ High School is located in Crows Nest. Established in 1912, North Sydney Boys' High School has been a selective school throughout its history, drawing its students at times only from the lower North Shore, at other times (as now) from widely dispersed suburbs of Sydney.
The school has a proud tradition of academic, cultural and sporting excellence. As an academically selective school, we aim to develop and maintain the highest possible standards in student learning: in recent years more than two-thirds of our Higher School Certificate entrants have been placed in the top 10% in the state. At the same time, however, we acknowledge that our students bring with them many talents besides their academic capacity, and recognise that they often have immense energy, enthusiasm and initiative. We provide innumerable opportunities for them to participate in a wide range of sporting and co-curricular pursuits and encourage them to join in community activities beyond the school.
North Sydney Boys' High School is one of a number of academically selective high schools within the New South Wales state education system. Entry is competitive, and is based on state-wide tests in English Language, Mathematics, General Ability and creative writing. The selection process is done through the Selective High Schools and Opportunity Class Placement Unit, part of the Department of Education and Training. Most students enter in Year 7 (age 11-12), when the school enrols 150 boys. Almost all these entrants will complete their six years of secondary education at this school. The school also accepts small numbers of new enrolments from Years 8 to 11. The school has approximately 920 students. The enrolment is at capacity, and is very stable.
There is a broad range of socio-economic backgrounds of students at the school. Seventy per cent of the school population is of diverse non-English speaking backgrounds. Students come from over 50 different countries and speak over 40 different languages.
The school is well equipped with facilities including a hall, gymnasium, fitness facility, tennis courts, cricket practice nets, drama space, library, computer rooms, kiln, art rooms, dark room, music laboratory, music rehearsal space, science laboratories, wood and metal technics rooms, senior study, canteen, uniform shop, old boys gallery and archives room.
The school has a large staff of 70 teachers including classroom teachers, 10 Head Teachers, 2 Deputy Principals, a Careers Adviser, teacher librarian, Sports Coordinator and 2 part-time counsellors. There are Year Advisers for each year, supporting the welfare needs of students. The school is supported by 12 school administrative and support staff and a General Assistant.
The learning program at North Sydney Boys’ High School is a diverse one. The academic achievements are a credit to the staff and to the students themselves.
High academic achievement is encouraged at the school, with considerable student success in external competitions including English, geography, mathematics, science including chemistry and physics, Olympiads, computer studies, and languages exams and competitions.
The co-curricular program is one we are proud of with an extensive creative and performing arts program, including music ensembles, concert bands, stage band, orchestra, jazz bands, choir, senior vocal ensemble, Annual School Musicale, School Musical Production, drama performances and festivals. Moreover the school offers debating, mock trial, chess, public speaking, school magazine 'Dodo', Stock Market Game, Charities Committee, Environmental Committee, Website Crew, and Sound and Lighting Crew.
The school has an extraordinary outdoor education program, operating in years 7 to 11 for the students to develop a range of social and physical skills. This is a highly valued part of the school’s program and is supplemented by the Duke of Edinburgh Scheme.
The school has an excellent relationship with North Sydney Girls’ High School, sharing the School Musical, the Annual Musicale, the annual Senior Challenge, co-curricular days with individual year groups, public speaking, junior and senior dances, Prefects activities, and overseas excursions.
The sport program is diverse, operating at a number of levels: the school level, with students competing in the North Western metropolitan zone in a range of recreational and representative sports. Falcon Sport (largely run by parents and students) is run after school hours and complements the school program. In addition there are inter-school knockout competitions, school and regional carnivals and other representative competitions.
Sister school relationships exist with Kokusai High School in Tokyo Japan and with Melbourne High School, the only selective state boys school in Victoria. Melbourne High and North Sydney Boys maintain a long tradition of visiting each other in alternate years to compete in sport and cultural pursuits. North Sydney Boys also offers overseas excursions for students to a variety of destinations including Japan, Cambodia, France and Germany.
North Sydney Boys offers extensive opportunities for leadership with students enthusiastically participating in Prefects, Student Representative Council, Charities, fundraising, Falcon Yearbook, Peer Support, Peer Mediation, School Council and Information Technology.
The school enjoys a strong network of support from parents and the community with involvement from the School Council, P&C, Auxiliary, Falcon Foundation, School Development Committee, Old Falconians’ Union (old boys of the school), and a range of other committees. Parents participate in working bees, Falcon Sport, the Annual Dinner, and Music and Library Support Groups. One of the most significant contributions of our community was the AF Henry Hall redevelopment project, funded entirely by community contributions. Work began in January 2002 to refurbish our much loved Hall and was completed in 2007. This work was managed entirely by the Falcon Foundation, a parent and community run organisation.
The school has developed over many years since its inception and has a number of quite historic buildings. Over the past six years a number of exciting development projects have been completed, with the school and community working with the Department of Education and Training to develop the Falcon Street frontage with new tennis courts, cricket practice nets, car park, toilet block and green space. A much larger project, the construction of a new Technology and Creative and Performing Arts block was completed in August 2006. The school continues to apply for the funding of a new library to replace the seriously undersized school library. Classroom makeovers have taken place over the past 12 months to improve the learning environment of our students.
I recommend this wonderful school as a fine example of young men being encouraged to develop to their potential within a network of support that allows them to do so.
Robyn Hughes Principal