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Normanhurst Boys High School

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Normanhurst Boys High School (colloquially known as Normo)[1] is a single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located in the suburb of Normanhurst, New South Wales, Australia. Consistently ranked as one of the nation's top schools academically, it was ranked seventh in the state based on Higher School Certificate (HSC) results in 2020.[4][5]

Normanhurst Boys High School
Normanhurst Boys High School, main building
Location
Map
Pennant Hills Road, Normanhurst, New South Wales

Australia
Coordinates33°43′17″S 151°6′5″E / 33.72139°S 151.10139°E / -33.72139; 151.10139
Information
TypeAcademically selective
Secondary school
Day school
Single-sex school
MottoKnow thyself[1]
Established1958; 66 years ago (1958)[2][3]
Educational authorityDepartment of Education
PrincipalAsli Harman
Staffc. 71
Years7–12
GenderBoys
Age13 to 18
Enrolment~760 (2018)
Campus size6.3 hectares (16 acres)
Campus typeSuburban parkland
Houses4
Colour(s)Red and black   
NicknameNormo
PublicationThe Normanhurst News
YearbookPhoenix Magazine
AffiliationsNorth West Metropolitan Sports Association
AlumniOld Boys
Websitenormanhurb-h.schools.nsw.gov.au
Map

Established in 1958, the school caters for approximately 730 students from Year 7 to Year 12, who are accepted on an academic basis.[3] Based on entry standards, it is one of the top ten schools in New South Wales.[6] The school celebrated its 60th anniversary in 2018.[7]

History

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In 1957, five schools made up the Hornsby school site, located on Pennant Hills Road: a boys primary school and a boys junior technical school on the eastern side, and an infants school, a girls' primary school, and a girls domestic science school on the western side.[8][better source needed] On 30 November 1957, the three western schools were destroyed by bushfires.[8] Over the 1957-58 Christmas holidays, the three schools were relocated into the facilities of the boys technical school, and the three year groups of boys were moved to a newly built but unopened school at Normanhurst.[8]

From its opening in 1958 until 1993, Normanhurst Boys High School operated as a comprehensive school.[8] In 1993, the Government of New South Wales marked Normanhurst as one of several high schools allowed to select students by academic achievement.[8] The first intake of "selective" students was made up of those starting Year Seven in 1994, with a new intake of Year Sevens each year, until the school became fully selective in 1999.[8] Presently, Normanhurst is one of seventeen fully selective schools in New South Wales[9] and considers itself to be the sister school of fellow selective school Hornsby Girls High School due to their proximity and past ties with each other.

Academics

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Like other academically selective schools, Normanhurst is known for its high academic achievement in the Higher School Certificate. The following table shows the school's rankings relative to other schools in the state.[citation needed] The rankings are based on the percentage of exams sat that resulted in a placing on the Distinguished Achievers List (highest band result) as shown by the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards (BOSTES NSW).

Year Rank in state
2022 8
2021 10
2020 7
2019 11
2018 16
2017 13
2016 11

In 2010, the school was ranked 14th in the state.[10]

Demographics

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The school's students are one of the most socio-economically advantaged in NSW, in terms of the Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage score, with 82% of boys at the school from families in the top quarter of society.[11][12] As a result, the school has been mentioned as part of an ongoing debate about whether Australian selective schools accept enough students from less well-off families, and if selective schools create social inequality.[13][14][15]

Structure

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Entry

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Normanhurst Boys High School is an academically selective high school and accepts a relatively small intake of 120 students in Year 7. It is one of the top ten schools in New South Wales, based on entry standards.[6] Offers of admission and matriculation into the school in Year 7 are made on the basis of academic merit, as assessed by the Selective High School Placement Test, sat in Year 6.[16]

A number of students may be accepted into Years 8 through to 11, through direct application to the school and a subsequent internal selection process, consisting of a consideration of character, extracurricular activities and academic ability. An interview is then required before a final offer is made. [17]

Houses

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The school has four houses, the names of which are based on figures in the Aboriginal Dreamtime. Pupils compete under their respective house in sport and academics. The houses are:

Bukkandi House Red

 

Dinewan House Blue

 

Warrigal House Yellow

 

Wayamba House Green

 

Facilities

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The school has an area of 6.3 hectares, and is within five minutes walk of Normanhurst railway station.[18] Facilities include a sporting field, three tennis courts and several basketball courts. The campus includes the hall, library, music and drama centre as well as a careers office. There are two gates of entry, one reserved for senior boys and one for junior boys. Each student has a laptop with wireless internet access.

The drama centre was finished in 2017, as part of an extension to the school's main building.

 
Normanhurst Boys High School

Sport

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Normanhurst Boys High School is a member of the North West Metropolitan Sports Association. The sporting year is divided into two seasons, summer and winter, and boys are able to select sports they wish to play throughout the semester.[19] All boys must play sports until Year 11, and are encouraged to play grade sport, representing the school in inter-school competitions.[20] Sports offered include:

The school also holds annual swimming and athletics carnivals,[19] as well as an annual cross-country event.

Co-curricular activities

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The school offers numerous clubs and societies to students.[21] These include:

  • Chess club[22]
  • Creator's club
  • Debating and public speaking[23][24]
  • Legal Club
  • Concert band[25]
  • Environmental society
  • Jazz ensemble
  • Mooting and mock trial
  • Robotics and programming club
  • Social justice society
  • History Club
  • Filmmaking Club
  • Stage bands (first and second)
  • String ensemble
  • Choir
  • Composer's Club

The school participates in the Duke of Edinburgh's Award Scheme,[26] as well as running its own secondary school army cadet unit, 226 Army Cadet Unit. In conjunction with Hornsby Girls High School, a (supposedly annual) musical production is put on, for which boys can audition and participate in. An annual art exhibition is also run by the school.[1]

Normanhurst runs school camps for grades 7–11, notably a camp for Year 7 students to Jenolan Caves and the Central West of New South Wales. The week-long excursion has been running in various forms since 1959.[27] On the camp, boys are accompanied by mentors from senior years. The school also offers overseas cultural trips to London, Paris, Rome and New York.

Normanhurst is also home to a FIRST Robotics Competition team, Team 4739: Ctrl F5, formerly Thunderbolts Robotics, founded in 2010 with their rookie year in 2013, they gained many years experience and was part of the initial 5 Australian teams founded by Team 3132: Thunder Down Under, and the oldest public school team still competing. They have also entered in the FIRST Tech Challenge, gaining first and also won the Duel Down Under in 2019, run by Team 3132.[28]

Motto

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The school's motto, Know Thyself, is a Delphic maxim which is attributed to Ancient Greece. The phrase has been expounded by Aeschylus, Socrates and Plato, among others. It is given as nosce te ipsum or temet nosce in Latin.

Principals

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The following individuals have served as principals (formerly headmasters) of the school:

Principal Term start Term end Time in office Notes
T. A. Pearson 1958 1967 8–9 years
R. E. Murphy 1968 1971 2–3 years
A. J. Newton 1972 1974 1–2 years
T. Cook 1975 1977 1–2 years
A. McLeon 1978 1981 2–3 years
R. Fenton 1981 1988 6–7 years
J. Abbery 1988 1992 3–4 years
N. G. Warren 1992 2008 15–16 years
J. Bruce 2008 2014 5–6 years
M. Anderson 2014 2020 9–10 years
A. Harman 2020 - 3–4 years

Notable alumni

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Alumni of Normanhurst Boys High School are commonly referred to as Old Boys. Some notable Normanhurst Old Boys include:

Business

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Media, entertainment, and the arts

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Medicine and science

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Politics, public service, and the law

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Sport

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See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Educational Philosophy". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  2. ^ "Normanhurst Boys High School". School Locator. NSW Public Schools. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 21 February 2008.
  3. ^ a b "2008 Annual Report - Normanhurst Boys High School" (pdf). Normanhurst Boys High School. 31 May 2009. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019 – via s3.amazonaws.com.
  4. ^ "HSC 2020: How your school ranked". Sydney Morning Herald. 2020. Retrieved 19 December 2020.
  5. ^ "No thanks, I'd rather go public: website data sways student". Sydney Morning Herald. 2010. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  6. ^ a b "Minimum Entry Scores of NSW Selective High Schools-2019". Better Education. 2019. Archived from the original on 11 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2019.
  7. ^ "60th Anniversary Celebrations". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2018. Archived from the original on 30 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  8. ^ a b c d e f "History". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  9. ^ "List of selective and agricultural high schools". Department of Education and Training. 14 September 2009. Archived from the original on 13 June 2014. Retrieved 9 June 2011.
  10. ^ Patty, Anna (8 February 2010). "No thanks, I'd rather go public: website data sways student". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  11. ^ "'Absolute prize': Why selective schools are eclipsing private schools". Sydney Morning Herald. 2018. Archived from the original on 17 January 2019. Retrieved 29 April 2019.
  12. ^ "My School: Normanhurst Boys High School". My School. 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  13. ^ Baker, Jordan; Morgan, Cassandra (15 July 2018). "'Absolute prize': Why selective schools are eclipsing private schools". The Sydney Morning Herald. Archived from the original on 16 April 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  14. ^ McGowan, Michael; Evershed, Nick (19 May 2018). "'Warped and elitist': are Australia's selective schools failing the fairness test?". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 March 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  15. ^ Kang, Benedict (23 January 2018). "What do we do about selective schools?". Spectator Australia. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 26 May 2019.
  16. ^ "Year 7". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  17. ^ "Years 8 - 12". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  18. ^ "Welcome to Normanhurst Boys High School". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 5 March 2005. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  19. ^ a b "Sport Policy". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 25 January 2008.
  20. ^ "North West Metropolitan Sports Association". North West Metropolitan Sports Association. 2019. Archived from the original on 27 September 2007. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  21. ^ "Enrichment and Corricular activities". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  22. ^ "Chess". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  23. ^ "Junior Debating and Public Speaking". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  24. ^ "Senior Debating and Public Speaking". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 1 September 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  25. ^ "Music at Normanhurst". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2018. Archived from the original on 29 May 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2019.
  26. ^ "Duke of Edinburgh Award". Normanhurst Boys High School. 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2007. Retrieved 24 January 2008.
  27. ^ "Camps & Rich Experiences". Normahurst Boys School Website. 2 May 2015. Archived from the original on 21 February 2018. Retrieved 22 February 2018.
  28. ^ "CNTRL F5 - Team 4739". The Blue Alliance. Retrieved 13 September 2020.
  29. ^ Schulze, Jane (26 September 2002). "Game on - Winning view from the Hill". The Australian. p. B.01.
  30. ^ Rowan Cahill. "Shaping Histories".
  31. ^ Anne Marie. "BEE GEES IN CLOSE UP".
  32. ^ "Edited transcript of interview with Michael Barber" (PDF). Swinburne Commons. Swinburne University of Technology. 27 October 2017. Archived (PDF) from the original on 1 July 2019. Retrieved 1 July 2019 – via commons.swinburne.edu.au.
  33. ^ Ray Hare - Libby Harricks Award Winner, Hearing Matters, August 2007. Retrieved 12 March 2024.
  34. ^ "Dr Jordan Nguyen". LinkedIn. Retrieved 1 July 2019 – via www.linkedin.com.
  35. ^ Johnson, Anne (28 May 2006). "The coffin, the Ark & the Prof". The Sunday Mail. Adelaide.
  36. ^ "John Shine". LinkedIn. Retrieved 5 June 2020.
  37. ^ Costar, Brian; Curtin, Jennifer (6 November 2007). "Independent federal politician did it his way". The Age. Melbourne, Victoria. p. 11.
  38. ^ a b c d e "Normanhurst Boys High". School Choice. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 23 January 2008.
  39. ^ Wright, Tony (19 July 1997). "The man they couldn't bash out of politics to quit prized Labor seat". Sydney Morning Herald.
  40. ^ "Baldwin, the Hon. Peter Jeremy". Parliament of Australia. Retrieved 30 May 2007.
  41. ^ "Greens back McClellan appointment". Herald Sun. 11 January 2013. Archived from the original on 12 December 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.
  42. ^ Moran, Susannah (12 January 2013). "Inquiry chief Peter McClellan noted for fairness and experience". The Australian. Archived from the original on 12 January 2013. Retrieved 12 January 2013.
  43. ^ "Principal's Report". Phoenix Magazine. Normanhurst Boys High School. 2018.
  44. ^ a b c d "North". Choosing a School. Universal Media Co. 2019. p. 73. Retrieved 7 May 2020.
  45. ^ Wilkins, Phil (12 November 1999). "Players go back to fielding school, hoping to catch on; PAKISTAN TOUR". Sydney Morning Herald.
  46. ^ "NSWCHS BOYS FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVES" (PDF). NSW Schools Football. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
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