Hurlstone Agricultural High School: Selective Entry Guide

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is NSW's only fully selective, co-educational agricultural boarding public high school — a distinctive school in Glenfield, south-west Sydney, with a working farm on a large campus. Like James Ruse, it pairs a strongly academic selective program with hands-on agriculture, and it also offers boarding for regional and rural families. If it's on your child's preference list, here's an honest profile and a clear explanation of how entry works.

School Snapshot

• Type: Fully academically selective public high school, co-educational, agricultural, with boarding
• Years: 7–12
• Location: Roy Watts Road, Glenfield, in south-west Sydney (Macarthur region)
• Enrolment: roughly 930 students
• Established: 1907 — noted as the oldest government boarding school in NSW
• Motto: Pro Patria — "For country"

What Makes Hurlstone Distinctive

Hurlstone is the only fully selective agricultural school in NSW that also boards students. Its large Glenfield campus includes a working farm — with cattle, sheep, horses, pigs and poultry — and the school runs "Farm Hub" and "Paddock to Plate" programs, so agriculture is a genuine, hands-on part of school life rather than a token subject. That agricultural and boarding identity sits alongside a fully academic selective program with "high expectations, explicit teaching, and a culture of achievement."

Academic Reputation

As a fully selective school, Hurlstone enrols high-achieving students from across the state. As with every selective school, it's worth being precise: the NSW Department of Education does not publish official rankings or entry cut-off scores, so any specific rank or number online is unofficial. The reliable summary is that it is a well-regarded selective school with a distinctive agricultural and boarding program.

How Entry Works

Year 7 — the main entry point

Hurlstone Agricultural High School offers 180 Year 7 places for 2027 entry, according to the NSW Department of Education (90 boys / 90 girls), which includes 30 boarding places (150 day places plus 30 boarding).

Most students join in Year 7 through the NSW Selective High School Placement Test, sat in Year 6. The test is computer-based and covers Reading, Mathematical Reasoning, Thinking Skills and Writing. Because it's a selective school, it is unzoned — families can apply regardless of where they live.

You nominate up to three selective schools in order of preference on the one application. Your preference order doesn't change your odds at any single school — it only decides which offer you receive if your child qualifies for more than one.

Boarding

Hurlstone offers a separate boarding pathway, aimed at students from regional, rural and remote NSW. Boarding places are applied for separately, in addition to the placement test.

A co-ed school — the 2027 gender balance change applies here

Because Hurlstone is co-educational, it's affected by the NSW gender parity model that applies from the 2027 intake. At co-ed selective schools, places are split equally between boys and girls, with boys competing against boys and girls against girls for their halves of the places (any odd place, and any places one gender doesn't fill, go on academic merit). This does not change how your child is assessed — the placement test is identical for everyone.

Later-year entry

Later-year entry is available when vacancies arise, assessed through a similar selective exam. Year 7 remains by far the main entry point.

Getting There

The campus is on Roy Watts Road, Glenfield, immediately next to Glenfield station on the Sydney Trains network. As a selective (and boarding) school it draws students from across NSW rather than a local catchment.

What a Competitive Application Looks Like

There's no published cut-off, so aim for a strong, balanced result across all four sections of the placement test. An interest in agriculture isn't an entry requirement — a place is earned through the test — but it's part of what makes the school distinctive. The most reliable preparation is consistent practice with realistic, exam-style questions in the same computer-based format used on test day.

Frequently Asked Questions

Do you have to board at Hurlstone?

No. Hurlstone is mainly a day school with a boarding option; boarding is aimed at regional, rural and remote students and is applied for separately.

Do you need a farming background to attend?

No. Agriculture is a genuine, hands-on part of school life, but students enrol for the selective academic program and don't need a farming background.

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 placement-test performance.

Does the 2027 gender balance change affect Hurlstone?

Yes. As a co-ed selective school, places are split 50/50 between boys and girls from the 2027 intake. The placement test itself is unchanged.

Can you apply here and to other selective schools at the same time?

Yes. You list up to three selective schools in order of preference on one application. Order doesn't affect your chances at any single school.

Related reading

• Selective High School Test dates 2028
• How selective placement scores are calculated
• The selective reserve list explained
• Gender parity in NSW selective schools from 2027

Prepare for the Placement Test with AcePath

Whichever selective schools you're aiming for, the 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 and Selective practice test packs, which mirror the real computer-based format used on test day.