Balwyn High School

Balwyn High School

Constanter ac Fideliter (constantly and faithfully)
Location
Balwyn North
Victoria
Coordinates 37°47′54″S 145°04′33″E / 37.79833°S 145.07583°E / -37.79833; 145.07583Coordinates: 37°47′54″S 145°04′33″E / 37.79833°S 145.07583°E / -37.79833; 145.07583
Information
Type State school
Established 1954
Principal Deborah Harman
Years 7 to 12
Number of students ≈2000, Coeducation
Colour(s) Navy Blue, Gold, Bottle Green
Mascot Lion
Yearbook The Buchanan
Publications The Lion (fortnightly online newsletter)
Website http://www.balwynhs.vic.edu.au

Balwyn High School is a state-run high school (years 7-12) in the Melbourne suburb of Balwyn North, in Victoria, Australia. It was established in 1954. As of February 2013, it had 1948 students, making it the fourth largest secondary school in Victoria.[1]

The postwar student population expanded. The school assembly hall was built with assistance from parents and is named after a former principal, Archibald M. Rogers. Managing the large class sizes of the era, the school developed a strong science education at senior levels that saw many of its graduates pass into senior academic, government and private sector positions.

The school buildings were redeveloped in 1994 after merging with Greythorn High School. Since 1996 the school has operated an International Students Program.

Academic achievements

In 2006 the median ENTER (precursor and equivalent to the current ATAR) was 85.70, 40.06% achieved an ENTER at or above 90 and 5.07% achieved an ENTER at or above 99. In 2004, 55 students attained ENTER scores in excess of 97 and the median ENTER was 86.95.[2]

Extracurricular program

The school runs co-curricular programmes, including music, sport, debating, cheerleading and community programs. Its music programme, which comprises many string orchestras, includes Beginner Strings (Novice), Junior Strings (Junior), Newitt Strings (Intermediate) and Senior Strings (Advanced), concert bands, choirs, stage bands, a full symphony orchestra, a smaller chamber orchestra and many other privately formed smaller groups.

Its chess teams have consistently reached state level competitions, while the school's cheerleading squad, the Skyraiders, earned two gold medals in Pom and Stunt and finished second (Level 2 Cheerleading/Scholastic) at the 2007 National Cheerleading Championships.[3]

Sport

Balwyn High School has a sports faculty, with many interschool sport teams representing the school in numerous sports, some at elite levels, like many other schools around Victoria.[4]

International Students Program

Balwyn High School runs an 'International Students Program'.[5] In 2007, there were 107 international students at Balwyn High School, who pay $11,800 per year, compared with the local students' voluntary school fees of around $900 per year. Balwyn earned 1.2 million from those international students in 2007.[6] Victoria's Education minister Bronwyn Pike denied that it was a "money-making scheme for schools", though Australian Education Union state president Mary Bluett said, "Certainly this has become a financial incentive for schools."[6]

Other

The school has four houses - Churchill, Strathmore, Windsor and Edinburgh. It also recently introduced a "Safe School Policy" against cyber-bullying.[7] In 2009, the Victorian Budget 2009-2010 has allowed the school to commence "Stage 3" building project which will include art facilities and the replacement of two old blocks.[8] The state government allocated $11.2 million for "school modernisation" of the facilities.[9]

Notable alumni

Notes

  1. ↑ "A class of their own", Herald Sun 1 September 2013 Page 18. Retrieved 1 September 2013.
  2. ↑ Balwyn High School, "Annual Report to the School Community", 2006
  3. ↑ "2007 Australian Gymsport Spectacular". Gymnastics Australia.
  4. ↑ "Victorian Secondary Schools' Sports Association". VSSSA.org.au. Archived from the original on 8 December 2008. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
  5. ↑ "International Students". Balwyn High School. Retrieved 29 January 2012.
  6. 1 2 Metlikovec, Jane (2007-12-03). "Foreign students benefit system – Minister Bronwyn Pike". The Herald Sun. Retrieved 2009-04-27.
  7. ↑ Balwyn High School, Anti Cyber-Bullying Policy
  8. ↑ Harman, Deborah, Principal’s Perspective - Stage 3 Funding Success, 14 May 2009
  9. ↑ 2009/2010 Victorian Budget Fact Sheet
  10. ↑ "Took the water war to the wallies". Melbourne: The Age. 18 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-04-07.
  11. ↑ "Athletics". Disease and disorder Information. 31 July 2008. Retrieved 2008-10-15.
  12. ↑ "The Lion". Balwyn High School. Archived from the original on July 19, 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2009.
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