Penrith High School: how does selective entry work?

By sitting the NSW Selective test and listing Penrith among your school choices. Penrith is fully selective, which means every student is placed through the selective process^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. ^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

On its own website the school uses the name Penrith Selective High School. It's the same school: the Department lists it as Penrith High School. ^{2Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}

Your child sits the test in Year 6^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, usually aged 11 years 5 months to 13 years at the start of Year 7^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. You apply online to the Department, not to Penrith, and offers go by test performance and the order of your school choices^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}.

The school is on High Street, Penrith^{1NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, in the Sydney - Outer West and Blue Mountains^{9NSW Education data · 13 October 2026 · Published} region.

Its travel page names Penrith Station and Kingswood Station^{10Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published} as the closest train stations.

Think about the daily trip as well as the school: the Department notes less travel could reduce harm to schoolwork and wellbeing^{3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Plan your commute opens Penrith in your own map app. ^{9NSW Education data · 13 October 2026 · Published}

Sometimes, and Year 10 is the likeliest year. Penrith runs its own Years 8 to 11 process ^{12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, and its enrol page notes approximately 15 additional students admitted into Year 10^{13Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

In other years the door is narrow. Generally there are an average of 3 to 5 places per year group in Years 8, 9 and 11^{13Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}, and there are no new students admitted in Year 12^{13Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

How does Penrith choose students for Years 8 to 11?

Its selection committee weighs the entry test result, the application with its documents, and any interview held^{13Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}. The test is the HAST, and Penrith shares results with 10^{13Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published} other selective schools.

For entry in 2027, applications ran 17 June 2026^{12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} to 24 July 2026^{12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}, with outcomes September 2026–October 2026^{12NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}. Dates for entry in 2028 are not published^{12NSW 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^{3NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}. Tick what fits; the list isn't stored anywhere.

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  A school of this size suits your child: Penrith has approximately 935 students from Years 7 to 12^{7Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

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  The train to Penrith or Kingswood, or the walk from there, works at school times. ^{10Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}

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  Your child would enjoy house competitions: Penrith has four houses: Blaxland, Lawson, Mitchell and Wentworth^{14Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

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  You've been on a tour or to the Open Night. ^{15Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}

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  Your child wants to go there. ^{3NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published}

No. There is no set minimum entry score^{6NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Published} for Penrith, and the Department publishes none for any school. The level needed moves each year with how many children apply, how they perform, the places available and how many offers are declined^{6NSW Education · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

The school's own pages talk about HSC and ATAR results. Those describe past Year 12 students and say nothing about how Year 7 offers are made.

Penrith follows the statewide Year 7 timetable. Exact dates for Year 7 entry in 2028: Not published^{4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Not published}. The months below are expected.

1. November 2026–February 2027 Expected^{4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   Apply, naming Penrith

   For a child in Year 5 in 2026.

2. early May 2027 Expected^{4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   The Selective test

3. August 2027 Expected^{4NSW Education · 12 October 2026 · Expected}

   Outcomes for each choice

To see the school first, Penrith runs school tours and an Open Night^{15Penrith HS · 13 October 2026 · Published}.

These three are the nearest, measured in a straight line from the Department's school coordinates. Girraween is added as the nearest fully selective co-ed school.

Find any school by suburb.