Despite growing demand for co-education, many parents are limited in choice because they live in 1 of the state’s 25 single-sex public school catchments.
Catchments for co-educational high schools will expand in parts of Sydney to take in students currently only given a single-sex high school option, as part of the government’s plan to ensure every student in NSW has a place in a mixed gender public high school.
Under proposed changes to intake areas set to come into effect from 2025, families in Sydney’s inner west and south west currently zoned for a single-sex high school will be able to send their children to a nearby co-educational high school.
The proposed school intake areas take into account local factors, including enrolment trends, public transport access and the capacity of the co-educational schools.
Students living in intake areas for the following schools will have guaranteed co-educational public high school access made available to them from 2025:
- Ashfield Boys High School
- Auburn Girls High School
- Bankstown Girls High School
- Belmore Boys High School
- Beverly Hills Girls High School
- Birrong Boys High School
- Birrong Girls High School
- Burwood Girls High School
- Canterbury Boys High School
- Canterbury Girls High School
- Granville Boys High School
- Homebush Boys High School
- James Cook Boys Technology High School
- Moorefield Girls High School
- Punchbowl Boys High School
- Strathfield Girls High School
- Wiley Park Girls High School.
Parents, staff, students and local communities are invited to provide feedback on the proposed intake area adjustments.
Work is under way in the remaining single sex catchments to deliver the Minns Labor Government’s commitment to guarantee all NSW students a place in a co-educational public high school by 2027.
Deputy Premier and Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car said:
“We committed to this complex reform after hearing time and again from parents that they want to have their children to have access to co-educational environments throughout their schooling.
“This is about giving all NSW students guaranteed access to a co-educational public high school.
“We don’t want families having to move out of communities they love because they do not have access to co-educational schools.
“We are ensuring schools have time to prepare and we are committed to keeping communities informed.”