Balwyn High School
Encyclopedia
Balwyn High School is a state-run high school
(years 7-12) in the suburb of Balwyn North, in Melbourne
, Victoria
, Australia. It was established in 1954. As of 2009 it has some 2,000 students and over 180 staff, making it one of the largest schools in the inner-eastern suburbs of Melbourne or the third largest secondary school in Victoria
.
The postwar student population expanded. The school assembly hall, named after Rogers, was built with assistance from parents. 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 which is intended to select students from East and Southeast Asia
n countries.
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.
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.
.
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."
. 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. The state government allocated $11.2 million for "school modernisation" of the facilities.
High school
High school is a term used in parts of the English speaking world to describe institutions which provide all or part of secondary education. The term is often incorporated into the name of such institutions....
(years 7-12) in the suburb of Balwyn North, in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
, Australia. It was established in 1954. As of 2009 it has some 2,000 students and over 180 staff, making it one of the largest schools in the inner-eastern suburbs of Melbourne or the third largest secondary school in Victoria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
.
The postwar student population expanded. The school assembly hall, named after Rogers, was built with assistance from parents. Managing the large class
Class (education)
A class in education has a variety of related meanings.It can be the group of students which attends a specific course or lesson at a university, school or other educational institution, see Form ....
sizes of the era, the school developed a strong science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
education
Education
Education in its broadest, general sense is the means through which the aims and habits of a group of people lives on from one generation to the next. Generally, it occurs through any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts...
at senior levels that saw many of its graduates pass into senior academic
Academia
Academia is the community of students and scholars engaged in higher education and research.-Etymology:The word comes from the akademeia in ancient Greece. Outside the city walls of Athens, the gymnasium was made famous by Plato as a center of learning...
, government
Civil service
The term civil service has two distinct meanings:* A branch of governmental service in which individuals are employed on the basis of professional merit as proven by competitive examinations....
and private sector
Private sector
In economics, the private sector is that part of the economy, sometimes referred to as the citizen sector, which is run by private individuals or groups, usually as a means of enterprise for profit, and is not controlled by the state...
positions.
The school buildings were redeveloped in 1994 after merging with Greythorn High School
Greythorn High School
Greythorn High School was a state-run high school in the suburb of Balwyn North, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. The school was established in February 1958, meeting for the first time at Balwyn High School as the new building at Greythorn Road was not completed at that time...
. Since 1996 the school has operated an International Students Program which is intended to select students from East and Southeast Asia
Asia
Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...
n countries.
Academic achievements
In 2006 the median ENTEREquivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank
The Equivalent National Tertiary Entrance Rank was the national Australian tertiary entrance rank, administered by Universities Australia...
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.
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
Pom
- Business :* Pepco Holdings, the stock symbol for Pepco Holdings, Inc.* Production and Operations Management- Food and beverages :* POM Wonderful, a brand of pomegranate juice* Pom , a taro like root based oven dish native to Suriname- Astronomy :...
and Stunt
Stunt
A stunt is an unusual and difficult physical feat, or any act requiring a special skill, performed for artistic purposes in TV, theatre, or cinema...
and finished second (Level 2 Cheerleading/Scholastic) at the 2007 National Cheerleading Championships.
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 VictoriaVictoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
.
International Students Program
Balwyn High School runs an 'International Students Program', which is intended to select students from Asian countries to come to Balwyn High School via the 'homestay' programme.. In 2007, there were 107 students at Balwyn, 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. Victoria's Education minister Bronwyn PikeBronwyn Pike
Bronwyn Pike is an Australian politician. She was Minister for Education in Victoria in the Brumby Government, and is the State Member of Parliament for Melbourne.-Early life:...
denied that it was a "money-making scheme for schools", though Australian Education Union
Australian Education Union
The Australian Education Union is an Australian trade union, founded in 1984 as the Australian Teachers Union, which is registered with Fair Work Australia as an employee group, and is affiliated with the Australian Council of Trade Unions...
state president Mary Bluett said, "Certainly this has become a financial incentive for schools."
Other
The school has four houses - Churchill, Strathmore, Windsor and Edinburgh. It also recently introduced a "Safe School Policy" against cyber-bullyingCyber-bullying
Cyber-bullying is the use of the Internet and related technologies to harm other people, in a deliberate, repeated, and hostile manner. As it has become more common in society, particularly among young people, legislation and awareness campaigns have arisen to combat it.-Definition:The term...
. 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. The state government allocated $11.2 million for "school modernisation" of the facilities.
Notable alumni
- Peter CullenPeter Cullen (scientist)Professor Peter Cullen AO FTSE, MAgrSc, DipEd , Hon DUniv , was a leading Australian water scientist.-Education:...
- water scientist - Neil J. GuntherNeil J. GuntherNeil Gunther, is a computer information systems researcher best known internationally for developing the open-source performance modeling software Pretty Damn Quick and developing the to computer capacity planning and performance analysis...
- Scientist - Steve Hooker - pole-vaulter
- Will Hull-Brown - drummer of The Cat EmpireThe Cat EmpireThe Cat Empire are an Australian ska and jazz band formed in 1999. Core members are Harry James Angus , Will Hull-Brown , Jamshid "Jumps" Khadiwhala , Ollie McGill , Ryan Monro and Felix Riebl...
- Michael TheoklitosMichael TheoklitosMichael Theoklitos is an Australian football player for the Brisbane Roar.-Early career:Theoklitos made several appearances in the Australian National Soccer League before moving away to Blackpool in England as a youngster, where he only played three games due to an injury sustained shortly after...
- Brisbane Roar Goalkeeper, former Norwich City Goalkeeper and Melbourne VictoryMelbourne VictoryMelbourne Victory Football Club is an Australian professional football club based in Melbourne, Victoria, that plays in the A-League....
Goalkeeper - Malcolm SpeedMalcolm SpeedMalcolm Walter Speed is an Australian businessman and the former CEO of the International Cricket Council.Before he entered the world of cricket, he was a barrister in Melbourne. He was originally the Chief Executive Officer of the Australian Cricket Board from 1997 until in 2001, he took up the...
- former CEO of ICCInternational Cricket CouncilThe International Cricket Council is the international governing body of cricket. It was founded as the Imperial Cricket Conference in 1909 by representatives from England, Australia and South Africa, renamed the International Cricket Conference in 1965, and took up its current name in 1989.The...
and Australian Cricket Board