This comprehensive high school was established in 1988 and focuses on excellence and success. The school caters for students from Years 7 to 12. A strong tradition of academic and sporting excellence has been developed, largely as a result of the atmosphere of dedication and commitment throughout the school community. The school is visually pleasing, and architecturally practical buildings stand on eight hectares of ground fringed by bushland.
Facilities: Sporting fields, cricket nets, outdoor tennis, volleyball, netball and basketball courts, multi-purpose centre including a gymnasium, indoor volleyball and basketball, venue for school functions, indoor fitness centre, fully operational farm with both livestock and crop activities, audio and video media centre, state-of-the-art video/technology projection theatre, well-equipped specialist learning spaces in the creative arts, design and technology, computing and the sciences. There is also a library with a full range of computer and audio-visual facilities and Internet access, and an abundance of weather shelters.
Electives Years 8 to 10: As well as a core of English, Mathematics, Science, Australian History, Australian Geography, PD/Health/PE, three electives are studied from the following choices — Agriculture, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, French, Visual Arts, Drama, Dance, Music, Computing Studies, Food Technology, Textiles and Design, Cabinetwork, Applied Technology, Graphics, and Design and Technology. Media Studies, Sports Science, Tourism and Hospitality, and Health Skills are offered as content-approved options.
Electives Years 11 and 12: All courses in English and Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, General Science, Science for Life, Business Studies, Legal Studies, Economics, Society and Culture, Geography, Agriculture, Industrial Technology, Engineering Science, Spanish, Japanese, Italian, French, Music, Drama, Food Technology, Visual Arts, Design and Technology courses, Computing Studies, Aboriginal Studies, Computing Applications, Ancient History, Modern History, General Studies, Life Management Studies, PD/Health/PE. Content-endorsed courses include Photography, Ceramics, Visual Design, Media Studies, Practical Writing Skills, Food Management, Exploring Childhood, Drama and Theatre, and Sport, Recreation and Lifestyle. Various courses at Wetherill Park/Liverpool TAFE are offered, and there are opportunities to study at 3-Unit and 4-Unit levels, and even at university level, through the University of Western Sydney’s pathways program. To meet the growing demand for vocational experiences, the dual-accredited vocational courses of Electronics, Hospitality, Retailing and Furnishings are available in-school, while links with TAFE campuses at Wetherill Park, Miller and Liverpool provide access to a wide range of courses at these institutions.
Sport: Leisure sports and a full range of competitive individual and team sports are available to all students, except Year 12, on a regular weekly basis. There are many opportunities to compete against students of other schools at carnivals, gala sports days, and competitions co-ordinated by state sporting bodies. Lunchtime mini-competitions and wheelchair sports are popular with participants and spectators.
Extracurricular activities: Gymnastics, fitness training, Mock Trial, Model United Nations Organisation, photography, dance, debating, public speaking, school magazine, musical and drama performances, soccer development program, competitions in writing, mathematics, science and geography.
Welfare and personal development: Extension program for gifted students, English as a second language, student counselling and disabilities support are important facets of the curriculum. The school has a successful student welfare program based on a house structure, with emphasis on self-discipline, student rights and responsibilities, merit awards and peer support. A strict uniform policy is enforced with the strong support of parents. Student leadership is encouraged through captains and the SRC.
Special features: Bossley Park High School houses a diverse multicultural population. It has a special unit for students with physical disabilities and maintains a policy of non-sexism in course patterns. As the first state high school with classes for children with physical disabilities, the school is designed for easy wheelchair access and has many other features that both provide for the special needs of such students and facilitate integration in all school activities.