Cheltenham Girls High School

Content sourced from Wikipedia, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0.

Cheltenham Girls’ High School is a public high school for girls in Cheltenham, Sydney, Australia. It opened in 1957 and is run by the New South Wales Department of Education. The school accepts all eligible girls (non‑selective) and currently has about 1,260 students from Years 7 to 12. The motto is Truth, Unity, Concord, and the school colours are maroon, pink and sky blue. The principal is Suellen Lawrence.

History and grounds
The school was founded in 1957–1958 by Bessie Mitchell, who was the first principal. The land was donated by the Vicars family. A leadlight window from the original house is in the administration area. The first students began at Epping Boys’ High School in 1957 while Cheltenham was being built and moved to Cheltenham in 1958. A local myth says the pink uniform came from a bequest; in fact it was the Vicars family. The pink dresses are still worn today. The school recently celebrated its 60th anniversary.

Curriculum and programs
Cheltenham is a comprehensive high school that follows the NSW curriculum. Years 7–8 have two compulsory years; Years 9–10 have two compulsory years plus three electives for the School Certificate. Years 11–12 prepare students for the HSC, with a minimum of 12 Preliminary and 10 HSC units, and English is required. The school also offers accelerated courses (IPT and Aboriginal Studies) and extra courses through TAFE NSW, Open High School, and other providers.

Performance and culture
The school is well regarded and often performs strongly in the HSC, sometimes outperforming some public selective schools. In 2006, it was named the sixth best performing school by the National Education Directory and the best non‑selective public school in Sydney’s Hornsby region. Students are divided into six house groups and take part in house carnivals for swimming, athletics, and cross country. Sport prefects help lead activities.

Traditions and events
A highlight is Presentation Day at the Sydney Opera House, where students travel there by a special “Cheltenham Express” train. Students sing Handel’s Hallelujah chorus and another song. In recent years, practice has sometimes taken place online or via lip‑syncing due to the pandemic.