Hornsby Girls High School: how selective entry works

Every Year 7 girl at Hornsby Girls is placed through the Selective test. The school is fully selective and has no local area intake. ^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} Families apply to the NSW Department of Education and may list up to 3^{2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} schools.

Your child sits the test in Year 6^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, and the Department places children by test performance and the order of your school choices^{2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}.

1. Year 5, apply

   For entry in 2028, applications are expected November 2026–February 2027^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}.

2. Year 6, sit the test

   Expected early May 2027^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}. It's held only in NSW^{4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}.

3. Hear the outcome

   Expected August 2027^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}: at most one offer at first. ^{5NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

4. Reserve places

   When a family declines a Hornsby Girls place, the next girl on the reserve list is offered it. ^{5NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

What is Hornsby Girls like?

The school dates from 1930^{6Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published} and has a heritage-listed main building^{6Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

Music is compulsory in Years 7 and 8, then an elective^{7Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}. The Co-Curricular Music Program, its largest, involves about 350 students from Years 7 to 12^{8Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

The address is Edgeworth David Avenue, Hornsby^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, in the Sydney - North Sydney and Hornsby^{11NSW Education data · 13 October 2026 · Published} region. The school sits next to Hornsby's central business district^{6Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

Its travel page sends families to the Transport NSW trip planner rather than listing routes. Try the trip at school times before you decide.

Living close helps: the Department notes less travel, more time for other activities^{2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Plan your commute opens the school in your own map app. ^{11NSW Education data · 13 October 2026 · Published}

Yes, but rarely in Years 8 to 10. Places open only when a current student leaves, because the school keeps 120 places in each of Years 7 to 10^{9Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Year 11 is different: the number of new students is set by the Principal from HAST performance, and it varies from year to year^{9Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

Applicants sit the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST), developed by ACER^{9Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}. The school names other selective schools that coordinate their Years 8 to 11 test with Hornsby Girls^{9Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}, among them the Manly selective campus. ^{13NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

If Hornsby Girls is your second or third preference, your child sits the HAST at the school you list as your first preference^{9Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Dates for entry in 2028: Not published^{13NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Not published}.

The Department suggests weighing your child's interests and abilities, academic and co-curricular needs, social and emotional needs, and any specialised support^{2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Tick what's true; nothing is saved or sent.

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  Your child would choose Hornsby Girls. The Department calls a school your child wants to go to^{2NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} an important consideration.

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  A girls' school suits your child.

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  Getting to Hornsby works on a school day, both ways.

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  Your child would enjoy music, which is compulsory at first. ^{7Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}

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  Your family likes an older school with a heritage-listed main building. ^{6Hornsby Girls HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}

No. There's no set minimum entry score^{5NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, at Hornsby Girls or anywhere. The result needed changes with each year's applicants and places.

School sites and league tables quote HSC results. Those describe past Year 12 classes, not how Year 7 places are offered. For other families' views, the Department suggests you ask friends, family and your community about their experiences^{2NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

The same Year 7 dates apply at every selective school. Exact dates for Year 7 entry in 2028: Not published^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published}. The months below are expected.

1. November 2026–February 2027 Expected^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   Apply, including Hornsby Girls

   For girls in Year 5 in 2026.

2. early May 2027 Expected^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   The Selective test

3. August 2027 Expected^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   Outcomes

If this school is a higher choice than an offer you've accepted, you can stay on its reserve list after 3 December 2026, 3 pm (Sydney time)^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} only by declining that accepted offer by then. ^{5NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} Reserve offers can run until the end of Term 1 2027^{15NSW Education · 18 October 2026 · Published}.

The first three are the nearest selective schools by straight line from the Department's coordinates. The last two are the nearest other fully selective girls' schools.

Search every school by suburb.