Normanhurst Boys' High School Explained

Normanhurst Boys High School
Motto:Know thyself[1]
Country:Australia
Coordinates:-33.7214°N 151.1014°W
Pushpin Map:Australia Sydney#New South Wales#Australia
Pushpin Mapsize:240
Module:
Stroke-Colour:
  1. C60C30
Stroke-Width:3
Marker:school
Marker-Colour:
  1. 1F2F57
Zoom:13
Established:[2] [3]
Principal:Asli Harman
Enrolment:~760
Enrolment As Of:2018
Houses:4
Lower Age:13
Upper Age:18
Grades Label:Years
Colours:Red and black
Publication:The Normanhurst News
Yearbook:Phoenix Magazine
Affiliations:North West Metropolitan Sports Association
Campus Type:Suburban parkland
Alumni:Old Boys
Nickname:Normo

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

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

In 1957, five schools made up the Hornsby school site, located on the Pacific Highway: 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] 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]

Academics

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. 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).

YearRank 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

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

Normanhurst Boys' High School is not far from its "sister" school, Hornsby Girls' High School, with which joint curriculum and extra-curricular activities are held, such as plays and musicals.

Entry

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

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 HouseGreen

Facilities

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.

Sport

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

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

Normanhurst E Tree Club

The school has a student run E Tree Club, which is not officially part of NBHS, although it is based in this school.

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

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

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 years
R. E. Murphy 1968 1971 years
A. J. Newton 1972 1974 years
T. Cook 1975 1977 years
A. McLeon 1978 1981 years
R. Fenton 1981 1988 years
J. Abbery 1988 1992 years
N. G. Warren 1992 2008 years
J. Bruce 2008 2014 years
M. Anderson 2014 2020 years
A. Harman 2020 - years Incumbent

Notable alumni

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

Business

Media, entertainment, and the arts

Medicine and science

Politics, public service, and the law

Sport

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Educational Philosophy . 2019-05-29 . 2018 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20190529154433/https://normanhurstboys.nsw.edu.au/our-school/history-and-educational-philosophy/ . 29 May 2019 . live .
  2. Web site: Normanhurst Boys High School . 2008-02-21 . School Locator . NSW Public Schools . https://web.archive.org/web/20071027121040/http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/schoolfind/locator/?section=showRecord&code=8211 . 27 October 2007 . dead .
  3. 2008 Annual Report - Normanhurst Boys High School . . s3.amazonaws.com . 31 May 2009. pdf . 1 July 2019 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701183144/http://s3.amazonaws.com/zanran_storage/www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ContentPages/45700452.pdf . 1 July 2019. live .
  4. Web site: HSC 2020: How your school ranked . 2020-12-19 . 2020 . Sydney Morning Herald.
  5. Web site: No thanks, I'd rather go public: website data sways student . 2019-05-29 . 2010 . Sydney Morning Herald . https://web.archive.org/web/20190526083630/https://www.smh.com.au/education/no-thanks-id-rather-go-public-website-data-sways-student-20100207-nkxx.html . 26 May 2019 . live .
  6. Web site: Minimum Entry Scores of NSW Selective High Schools-2019 . 2019-05-30 . 2019 . Better Education . https://web.archive.org/web/20190511120838/https://bettereducation.com.au/Resources/NSWSelectHSEntryScores.aspx . 11 May 2019 . live .
  7. Web site: 60th Anniversary Celebrations . 2019-05-29 . 2018 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20190530144706/https://normanhurstboys.nsw.edu.au/60th-anniversary-bbq-and-school-tours/ . 30 May 2019 . dead .
  8. Web site: History . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . 9 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110526012011/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/history.htm . 26 May 2011.
  9. Web site: List of selective and agricultural high schools . 14 September 2009 . Department of Education and Training . 9 June 2011 . https://web.archive.org/web/20140613233227/http://www.schools.nsw.edu.au/gotoschool/types/shs_ahs_details.php . 13 June 2014 . dead .
  10. News: Patty . Anna . No thanks, I'd rather go public: website data sways student . 26 May 2019 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 8 February 2010 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190526083630/https://www.smh.com.au/education/no-thanks-id-rather-go-public-website-data-sways-student-20100207-nkxx.html . 26 May 2019 . live .
  11. Web site: 'Absolute prize': Why selective schools are eclipsing private schools . 2019-04-29 . 2018 . Sydney Morning Herald . https://web.archive.org/web/20190117070137/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/absolute-prize-why-selective-schools-are-eclipsing-private-schools-20180713-p4zrf8.html . 17 January 2019 . live .
  12. Web site: My School: Normanhurst Boys High School . 2019-05-29 . 2018 . My School . https://web.archive.org/web/20190529083838/https://www.myschool.edu.au/school/41325 . 29 May 2019 . live .
  13. News: Baker . Jordan . Morgan . Cassandra . 'Absolute prize': Why selective schools are eclipsing private schools . 26 May 2019 . The Sydney Morning Herald . 15 July 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190416171328/https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/absolute-prize-why-selective-schools-are-eclipsing-private-schools-20180713-p4zrf8.html . 16 April 2019 . live .
  14. News: McGowan . Michael . Evershed . Nick . 'Warped and elitist': are Australia's selective schools failing the fairness test? . 26 May 2019 . The Guardian . 19 May 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190331231857/https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/may/20/warped-and-elitist-are-australias-selective-schools-failing-the-fairness-test . 31 March 2019 . live .
  15. News: Kang . Benedict . What do we do about selective schools? . 26 May 2019 . Spectator Australia . 23 January 2018 . https://web.archive.org/web/20190526083647/https://www.spectator.com.au/2018/01/what-do-we-do-about-selective-schools/ . 26 May 2019 . live .
  16. Web site: Year 7 . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829161134/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/yr7.htm . 2007-08-29.
  17. Web site: Years 8 - 12 . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829154941/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/enrolment/yr812.htm . 2007-08-29.
  18. Web site: Welcome to Normanhurst Boys High School . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20050305105611/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/ . 5 March 2005 . live .
  19. Web site: Sport Policy . 2008-01-25 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829152246/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/sport/policy.htm . 2007-08-29.
  20. Web site: North West Metropolitan Sports Association . 2019-05-29 . 2019 . North West Metropolitan Sports Association . https://web.archive.org/web/20070927191840/http://www.nwmsport.com/ . 27 September 2007 . live .
  21. Web site: Enrichment and Corricular activities . 2019-05-29 . 2018 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20190529082629/https://normanhurstboys.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/enrichment-activities/ . 29 May 2019 . live .
  22. Web site: Chess . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829154253/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/cocurricula/chess.htm . 2007-08-29.
  23. Web site: Junior Debating and Public Speaking . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070901021816/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/faculties/eng/jundeb8.html . 2007-09-01.
  24. Web site: Senior Debating and Public Speaking . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070901021800/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/faculties/eng/sendeb8.html . 2007-09-01.
  25. Web site: Music at Normanhurst . 2019-05-29 . 2018 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20190529082629/https://normanhurstboys.nsw.edu.au/curriculum/enrichment-activities/#music . 29 May 2019 . live .
  26. Web site: Duke of Edinburgh Award . 2008-01-24 . 2008 . Normanhurst Boys High School . https://web.archive.org/web/20070829153937/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/cocurricula/doe.htm . 2007-08-29.
  27. Web site: Camps & Rich Experiences. May 2, 2015. Normahurst Boys School Website. 22 Feb 2018. https://web.archive.org/web/20180221231307/http://www.normanhurb-h.schools.nsw.edu.au/curriculum-activities/learning-extension/camps-and-rich-tasks. 21 February 2018. live.
  28. Web site: CNTRL F5 - Team 4739. 2020-09-13. The Blue Alliance. en.
  29. News: Jane . Schulze . Game on - Winning view from the Hill . . B.01 . 2002-09-26 . dmy-all.
  30. Web site: Shaping Histories . Rowan Cahill.
  31. Web site: BEE GEES IN CLOSE UP . Anne Marie .
  32. Web site: Edited transcript of interview with Michael Barber . 2017-10-27 . Swinburne Commons . commons.swinburne.edu.au . . 2019-07-01 . dmy-all . https://web.archive.org/web/20190701023816/https://commons.swinburne.edu.au/file/eceac131-8cb8-4db3-9ed7-71e4642271d1/1/michael_barber-transcript.pdf . 1 July 2019 . live .
  33. https://www.hearingmattersaustralia.org/static/uploads/files/2007-lha-dr-ray-hare-wfzhgnzbwekb.pdf Ray Hare - Libby Harricks Award Winner
  34. Web site: Dr Jordan Nguyen . . www.linkedin.com. registration. 1 July 2019.
  35. News: Anne . Johnson . The coffin, the Ark & the Prof . . Adelaide . 2006-05-28 . dmy-all.
  36. Web site: John Shine . 2020-06-05 . LinkedIn . registration.
  37. News: Brian . Costar . Curtin, Jennifer . Independent federal politician did it his way . . . 11 . 2007-11-06 . dmy-all.
  38. Web site: Normanhurst Boys High . 2008-01-23 . School Choice . https://web.archive.org/web/20070830233028/http://www.schoolchoice.com.au/find_a_school?cid=12348&pid=2701627 . 2007-08-30 . dmy-all.
  39. News: Tony . Wright . The man they couldn't bash out of politics to quit prized Labor seat . . 1997-07-19 . dmy-all.
  40. Web site: Baldwin, the Hon. Peter Jeremy . . 2007-05-30 . dmy-all.
  41. Web site: Greens back McClellan appointment . . 11 January 2013 . 11 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20131212001037/http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/greens-back-mcclellan-appointment/story-e6frf7kf-1226552296516 . 12 December 2013 . live .
  42. News: . Moran, Susannah . Inquiry chief Peter McClellan noted for fairness and experience . 12 January 2013 . 12 January 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130112004703/http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquiry-chief-peter-mcclellan-noted-for-fairness-and-experience/story-e6frg6n6-1226552323683 . 12 January 2013 . live .
  43. 2018 . Principal's Report . Phoenix Magazine . Normanhurst Boys High School.
  44. 2019 . North . Choosing a School . 73 . Universal Media Co . 7 May 2020.
  45. News: Phil . Wilkins . Players go back to fielding school, hoping to catch on; PAKISTAN TOUR . . 1999-11-12 . dmy-all.
  46. Web site: NSWCHS BOYS FOOTBALL REPRESENTATIVES . . NSW Schools Football . 7 June 2020.

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