# Baulkham Hills High School

Baulkham Hills High School (colloquially known as 'Baulko') is a government-funded academically selective secondary school. It lies within Baulkham Hills in the Hills District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.
The school is renowned for its academic achievement and ranked second in the NSW Higher School Certificate in 2016, 2017 and 2020. It also ranked fifth in 2018, ninth in 2019 and ranked third in 2021, 2022 and 2023. In 2010, the school was ranked the most popular school in NSW for high school applications.

## 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. 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. The school's first selective cohort was in 1990, with all grades being selective by 1995.
The school was established on the grounds of a former orange orchard. This area of Sydney was once renowned for its significant orange production. This important historical backstory is preserved within the school's logo in the form of an orange tree, and the school's mascot is an orange by the name of Optimistic Orange.
This agricultural heritage also presents itself in the naming of the school's four intramural sports houses, which pay tribute to prominent early European settlers in the local area. These houses are named after MacDougall (represented by the colour red), Suttor (blue), Meehan (yellow), and Hughes (green).
Baulkham Hills High School encourages its school motto of 'persevere'.

## Admissions and enrolment

Total enrollment in junior years (Years 7–10) is approximately 180 students per year group, and around 200 per year group in senior years (Years 11–12), due to transfers from other schools. As of 2021 the total enrollment was 1,230 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. In 2020, the lowest admitted score was 234 out of the maximum 300. For students falling below the lowest admitted score, admission is determined using a reserve system and an assessment of their academic record.

## Facilities
### Departments and staff rooms

There are ten staff rooms for all of the faculties.
* English (upstairs C Block)
* History (downstairs D Block)
* Technology and Industrial Arts (upstairs F Block)
* Languages Other Than English (LOTE) (upstairs D Block)
* Mathematics (upstairs B Block)
* PDHPE (E Block)
* Science (E Block)
* Social Sciences (upstairs D Block)
* Support Unit (downstairs C Block)
* Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA) and Music (downstairs G Block)

## Extracurricular activities

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 organizers 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, association football and touch football. Baulkham Hills obtained first place in both the 2011 and 2012 tournaments.

### 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, association football and touch football, Penrith hosted table tennis in 2013. Again, Baulkham Hills High School won the tournament. 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.
Since the introduction of Quad-schools, Baulkham Hills have won the competition 11 times, 9 of them being consecutively, and Penrith has won once.

### Academic

A variety of academic extra-curricular activities are offered, in various subject areas.
* Tournament of Minds
* Future Problem Solving
* Mock Trial
* OzCLO (Computational and Linguistics Olympiad)
* Debating
* Physics, Chemistry and Biology Olympiad Team
* Mathematics Olympiad Team
* Australian and New Zealand Brain Bee Competition

### Sport

In addition to sporting competitions and tournaments such as Zone, Area and CHS, the school offers additional sporting activities to selected students, including:
* Knockout Regional Teams (Basketball, Volleyball, Touch Football, Table Tennis)
* Regional Championship Sports
* Quad Schools Tournament, against James Ruse Agricultural High School, Penrith High School and Girraween High School, in which Baulko won in 2021, 2022 and 2023.

### Cadets

Australian Army Cadets is a youth development organisation with ties to the Australian Army. Cadets parade in the school quadrangle (the main open space in the centre of the school) every Thursday afternoon. In this time, recruits and intermediate cadets are instructed by older students who have earned the rank of a non-commissioned officer, in drill, military traditions, navigation, survival, fieldcraft and leadership. Furthermore, Cadets parade in the school gymnasium on remembrance day and on 11 November, and Anzac day.

### Creative and performing arts

The school offers various activities in the field of creative and performing arts, including:
* School Bands, including Junior, Intermediate, Concert, Senior, and Symphonic Wind Ensemble.
** Specialized bands, including String Ensemble, Big Band, and Orchestra.
* School Choir
* Music Nights
* Variety Night
* Drama Club
* Photography Club
* Art Club
* Badminton Club

### Other extracurriculars

* Leo Club (Baulkham Hills High School is home to the largest active Leo Club in the world)
* Chess Club
* Green Group (environmental club)
* Outreach (A club that organizes events for charity)
* Baulko Bulletin (The school's very own newspaper)
* T-Soc (Tamil Society)
* B-Soc (Business Society)
* B-Well (Mental-health club)
* Soul Purpose (ISCF)
* Spectrums (LGBT club)
* Coding Club (Learning essential coding skills)
* French Club
* Numismatics Club (Coins and Banknotes)

## Notable alumni

* Greg Combet – former Member for Charlton (2007–2013); former federal minister in the Rudd and Gillard governments; former Secretary of the Australian Council of Trade Unions (2000–2007)
* Sam Dastyari – former Senator for New South Wales (2013–2017); General Secretary of the NSW branch of the Labor Party (2010–2013)
* Jayne Jagot – Judge of the High Court of Australia
* Stephanie Schweitzer – athlete; represented Australia at the 2012 London Paralympics

### Notable teachers

* Gordon Smith (retired) – wrestler, represented Australia in the 1976 Montreal Olympics