Blaxland East Public School OC: Opportunity Class Guide

Blaxland East Public School hosts an Opportunity Class (OC) — a two-year gifted-education placement for high-potential students in Years 5 and 6 — in the lower Blue Mountains, with 30 Year 5 places for 2027 entry. It is the one OC school in NSW whose availability depends on which year your child sits the test: Blaxland East and Glenbrook Public School take a new Year 5 cohort in alternate years, and 2027 is Blaxland East's year.

School Snapshot

• Type: NSW public primary school (K–6) hosting an Opportunity Class
• OC program: Years 5–6 — a two-year placement, entered in Year 5
• Location: Old Bathurst Road, Blaxland East, lower Blue Mountains
• OC places: 30 Year 5 places for 2027 entry
• Next intake after 2027: 2029 — the 2028 Blue Mountains intake is at Glenbrook
• Principal: Kerry Bryan

The Alternating Intake — The One Thing to Get Right

The NSW Department of Education states it plainly: "Blaxland East Public School and Glenbrook Public School take new students every second year, alternating each year." Each school runs a single OC cohort of 30 that moves through Year 5 and then Year 6, so a new Year 5 intake opens at only one of the two schools in any given year.

For 2027 entry, the 30 places are at Blaxland East. Glenbrook has no Year 5 places in 2027; its next intake begins in 2028. Put the other way round: a Blue Mountains family sitting the test for 2027 entry cannot choose between the two schools — Blaxland East is the option, and naming Glenbrook on a 2027 application achieves nothing.

This is the only arrangement of its kind in the NSW OC list, and it is the single most common source of confusion about OC in the Blue Mountains. Before you finalise a preference list, confirm the current year's placement numbers on the Department's own list rather than on a school-comparison blog, which may be describing a different intake year.

What it means if your child is in Year 3 now

Work backwards from the entry year, not from the school. Children apply in Year 4 for a Year 5 place the following year. If that entry year is an even year the Blue Mountains cohort starts at Glenbrook; if it is odd, at Blaxland East. Check the placement numbers for your specific entry year before you assume either school is on the table.

About the School

Blaxland East is a K–6 public school in the lower Blue Mountains, roughly an hour west of Sydney on the Great Western Highway and a short drive from Blaxland and Glenbrook stations on the Blue Mountains line. The school describes itself as "committed to the nurture of children and the achievement of excellence in teaching, learning and performing," and frames its culture around courage and service, with respect, curiosity and teamwork as its stated values.

An OC is an academic class within the school, not a separate school. Your child joins in Year 5 and continues in the OC to the end of Year 6, sharing assemblies, sport, playground and school events with the rest of the school.

How OC Entry Works

The OC Placement Test — Year 4 for Year 5 entry

For 2027 entry, Blaxland East Public School offers 30 Year 5 opportunity-class places according to the NSW Department of Education. Children apply in Year 4 and sit the OC Placement Test, with places offered for Year 5 the following year. The test is computer-based and covers:

• Reading
• Mathematical Reasoning
• Thinking Skills

You nominate up to four OC schools in order of preference on the one application — one more than the selective high school test allows. Preference order never changes your chances at any single school; it only decides which offer you receive if your child qualifies for more than one.

The school's own enrolment page confirms the points families most often get wrong: it is "a two-year program from Year 5 to 6," parents and carers cannot apply for Year 6 placement only, "enrolment is by application only," students "must sit the placement test to be offered a place," and "you can apply even if our school is outside your local enrolment area."

Equal places for girls and boys

Blaxland East states that it offers "an equal number of places for girls and boys." That reflects the gender balance model applied to OC places from the 2027 intake: at a 30-place school, roughly 14 places go to boys and 14 to girls, with each competing within their own half and the remaining places awarded on academic merit. This does not change how your child is assessed — the OC Placement Test is identical for everyone.

The Equity Placement Model

The school also notes that the Equity Placement Model holds up to 20% of places for students from defined disadvantaged groups. Those places are still awarded on placement-test performance, within the reserved allocation.

Blue Mountains and Nearby OC Options

The mountains list is genuinely short, and the alternating pair makes it shorter in any single year. For 2027 entry the realistic options are:

• Blaxland East Public School — 30 places (lower mountains)
• Wentworth Falls Public School — 15 places (upper mountains)
• Glenbrook Public School — no 2027 intake; next cohort 2028

Down on the plain, Penrith Public School holds 15 places and Richmond Public School 30, both a realistic drive from the lower mountains; Kingswood and St Clair hold 15 each. Because OC classes are not zoned, any of these can go on the same application — the constraint is the daily trip, not eligibility. Check places and suburbs in the full NSW OC schools directory before you lock in your preference order.

What a Competitive Application Looks Like

There's no published cut-off, so aim for a strong, balanced result across all three sections of the OC test. A lopsided result — strong maths but weaker Reading or Thinking Skills — can be overtaken by a more even performer. With 30 places and a catchment that stretches across the mountains and into the Penrith basin, the realistic target is a solid result in every section rather than a spike in one. The most reliable preparation is consistent practice with realistic, OC-style questions in the same computer-based format used on test day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Blaxland East Public School have an opportunity class?

Yes. The school hosts an Opportunity Class for high-potential and gifted students in Years 5 and 6, entered through the NSW OC Placement Test, with 30 Year 5 places for 2027 entry.

Why does Glenbrook have no OC places this year?

Blaxland East and Glenbrook take a new Year 5 OC cohort in alternate years. The 2027 cohort is at Blaxland East; Glenbrook's next intake begins in 2028.

Can I put both Blaxland East and Glenbrook on the application?

There is no point in naming the school that has no intake in your child's entry year. Check the Department's placement numbers for that specific year and use your four preferences on schools that are actually taking students.

Do we have to live in the Blue Mountains to apply?

No. The school confirms you can apply even if it sits outside your local enrolment area — opportunity classes are not zoned.

Can my child enter the OC in Year 6?

No. The school states plainly that parents and carers cannot apply for Year 6 placement only. Entry is in Year 5 for a two-year placement.

What score do you need to get in?

There's no officially published cut-off, and any specific number online is an unofficial estimate. Entry is decided by OC Placement Test performance.

Does the OC test include writing?

No. The OC Placement Test covers Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills. (Writing is part of the selective high school test, not the OC test.)

Related reading

• How to apply for OC and Selective: 2028 entry
• OC test dates 2028
• How OC placement scores are calculated
• The OC reserve list explained
• Find OC schools near you in NSW

Prepare for the OC Test with AcePath

Whichever OC schools you're aiming for, the OC Placement Test decides your child's options. Start with a free AcePath sample quiz to see where they stand in Reading, Mathematical Reasoning and Thinking Skills, then build an exam-ready routine with our OC practice test packs, which mirror the real computer-based format used on test day.