Penrith High School: Selective Entry Guide

Penrith High School is a fully selective, co-educational public school in Penrith, and one of the leading selective schools in Western Sydney. Academically selective since 1989, it draws high-potential students from across the Penrith region and beyond. 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
• Years: 7–12
• Location: High Street, Penrith, in Western Sydney
• Enrolment: roughly 920–935 students, with a Year 7 intake of about 150
• Established: 1950 (academically selective since 1989)
• Motto: Altiora Peto — "Striving for the highest"

What the School Is Like

Penrith High describes itself as educating highly gifted learners across intellectual, creative, physical and social-emotional domains, and is a partner school in the NSW High Potential and Gifted Education policy. It offers enrichment and extension pathways, academic competitions, performing arts and STEM co-curricular programs, plus university and industry partnerships, with a stated focus on student wellbeing alongside academic rigour. The school has a long history in Penrith, with its magazine, The Towers, published continuously since 1950.

Academic Reputation

Penrith High is widely regarded as one of the leading selective schools in Western Sydney and a consistently strong HSC performer. The school itself reports a strong HSC record — with many students achieving high ATAR results — and Year 7 and 9 NAPLAN results it describes as among the highest in the state. It's worth being precise about ranking claims: the NSW Department of Education does not publish official rankings or entry cut-off scores, so any specific "state rank" comes from third-party aggregators, not an official source. The reliable summary is that it is a leading Western Sydney selective school with a strong academic record.

How Entry Works

Year 7 — the main entry point

Penrith High School offers 150 Year 7 places for 2027 entry, according to the NSW Department of Education (75 boys / 75 girls).

About 150 students join in Year 7 each year 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.

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.

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

Because Penrith High 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

A very small number of places open in Years 8–11 when vacancies arise (on average only a handful per cohort), through a separate school application and the High Ability Selection Test (HAST), not the Year 7 placement test. Year 7 remains by far the main entry point.

Getting There

The campus is on High Street in central Penrith, close to Penrith and Kingswood railway stations on the Sydney Trains Western Line, and is accessible by public transport, walking or driving. As a selective school it draws students from across the wider Western Sydney region.

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. A lopsided result can be overtaken by a more even one. 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

Is Penrith High School co-ed or single-sex?

Co-educational — it enrols both boys and girls across Years 7–12.

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 Penrith High?

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.

Is there entry other than in Year 7?

A very small number of Years 8–11 places open when vacancies arise, via a separate HAST process, but Year 7 is by far the main entry point.

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.