Blacktown area high school co-education community consultation
The department has completed a comprehensive 6-week consultation process with students, parents and carers and staff from 25 primary and high schools to better understand factors influencing high school selection in the Blacktown area.
The consultation, which ran from 28 October to 6 December 2024, included an online survey, 13 independently facilitated in-person and online workshops and collected comprehensive feedback on two proposals for Years 7-12.
Proposals:
- Create one co-educational school by combining Blacktown Boys High School and Blacktown Girls High School to establish a single co-educational campus in the current location; or
- Retain Blacktown Boys and Blacktown Girls high schools as separate single-sex schools and adjust surrounding high school intake areas to provide all students guaranteed access to a co-educational high school within their intake area.
Next steps
The department is currently reviewing all feedback received. A report outlining the consultation findings will then be prepared.
An update on how future co-educational access will be provided to the Blacktown community will be shared, at the earliest, by early 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the co-educational initiative?
The NSW Government is committed to offering all families a co-educational high school option. This means every student in NSW will be guaranteed a place at a designated co-educational public high school by 2027.
The department is consulting with school communities to understand their views relating to high school enrolment decision-making and to collect feedback on a range of proposals for future arrangements for Years 7-12 in the Blacktown area.
What is involved in meeting the co-educational commitment?
A comprehensive consultation process in Term 4 sought to better understand parent and student decision-making regarding high school enrolment choices for Blacktown Boys and Girls high schools.
Parents, carers, students, staff, special interest groups and the community were invited to share their feedback by online survey, in-person and online workshops, which will further inform any proposals or recommendations to meet the co-educational commitment.
What was the purpose of the consultation?
The Blacktown area consultation aimed to better understand parent and student decision-making regarding high school enrolment choices, including preferences relating to educational offerings.
Who was consulted and how?
The consultation process engaged current and future students, teachers and staff, primary and high school parents and carers, the public and special interest groups.
The consultation process included 13 workshops – both online and in-person –focus groups and an online survey.
Schools involved
| Primary schools | High schools |
|---|---|
Blacktown North PS |
Blacktown Boys HS |
Blacktown South PS |
Blacktown Girls HS |
Blacktown West PS |
Evans HS |
Lalor Park PS |
Mitchell HS |
Lynwood Park PS |
Doonside Technology HS |
Seven Hills West PS |
Quakers Hill HS |
Shelley PS |
Seven Hills HS |
Vardys Road PS |
Wyndham College |
Seven Hills PS |
|
Caddies Creek PS |
|
Hambledon PS |
|
Kings Langley PS |
|
Marayong Heights PS |
|
Marayong PS |
|
Marayong South PS |
|
Quakers Hill East PS |
|
Quakers Hill PS |
Has a decision been made?
No, decisions about future school plans for Blacktown Boys and Girls high schools have been made. All feedback will be reviewed and considered before any proposals or recommendations are made.
How does the proposal evaluation process work?
The department will use the consultation outcomes, as well as detailed internal assessments, to inform the most appropriate way to increase access for students to co-educational high school options in the Blacktown area.
Who facilitated the consultation?
The department coordinated the consultation process using an independent facilitator, drawing on a range of skills and expertise from school performance, school operations, communications, engagement, educational outcomes and school infrastructure across the department.
Can I still make a submission after the consultation period has closed?
We have received a significant amount of feedback from the Blacktown community during the consultation period. To ensure we can assess the outcomes of the consultation in a timely manner, we can no longer accept submissions.
When will the consultation report findings be released?
A decision on how future co-educational settings will be provided in the Blacktown area will be shared with school communities by early 2025.
Do you plan to build a new school in the area?
Consultation focused on understanding local contexts and preferences regarding educational offerings – it was not about delivering a new school.