Preamble
The enrolment policy of Sydney Boys High School was drafted originally in 2001 by a Committee consisting of two senior members of staff, a member of the school community and the Principal. It is reviewed annually in June. The policy explains the process by which students gain entry to Sydney Boys High School by local selection for vacancies in Years 8-12.

Enrolment Limits
An enrolment ceiling for each year was set as follows:

• Years 7-8 (180 per Year)
• Years 9-12 (210 per Year)

The maximum possible enrolment is 1200 students.

School Context
Sydney Boys High School is an academically strong, single sex government school. It caters for the needs of gifted students. It is a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools - AAGPS or GPS as it is referred to. The GPS relationship which has involved SBHS since 1906 includes participation in sporting competitions held AFTER SCHOOL HOURS, principally on Saturdays and Friday nights.

Prospective applicants should be aware that our strong expectation is that boys will participate in competitive team sports. Students are expected to compete in a minimum of two GPS sports each year.

Year 7 Enrolment
Each year 180 boys are selected for entry by reference to a state-wide test administered by the High Performing Students Unit, moderated teacher assessments in English and Mathematics, and to an achievement profile supplied by applicants. Boys are offered places on the basis of a rank-ordered composite score and a preference list of up to 4 schools. Application forms are available from Selective High Schools and from State Primary Schools and District Offices. The Application Package can also be downloaded from the High Performing Students Unit website. (Sample questions from past Selective Schools Placement Tests are also available on the HPSU website). The High Performing Students Unit can be contacted on 1300 880 367 or by email at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

A Placement Committee, consisting of the School Education Director, the Principal, a Deputy Principal and a parent representative, is involved in the process of selecting students entering Year 7. It considers a variety of additional information supplied by applicants to the High Performing Students Unit. The Committee decides on various claims and illness, misadventure reports. The Placement Committee signs off on a finalised rank order list of applicants’ scores. Places are then offered according to High Performing Students Unit protocols.

Purposeful Grouping of Students
Applicants to Sydney Boys High School need to be aware that Purposeful Grouping is an aspect of student organisation. Year 7 students are grouped for a range of purposes. Boys are grouped together to meet identified needs or to bring together students with similar interests and/or abilities. Ability Grouping is one of the features of this school. Ability grouping occurs in some classes in Stage 5. The article Ability Grouping on this website outlines the rationale behind this approach.