Application and enrolment information

Entry into Year 7 2026

Applications for entry into 2026 have now closed.

Application process for enrolment in Year 7

Applications for Year 7 open in Year 5 with testing undertaken in Year 6.

The selective high school placement process for Year 7 is administered by the Selective Education Team of the NSW Department of Education. All enquiries should be directed to this team.

Contact the Selective Education Team

For further information, translation or assistance contact:

Selective Education Team
NSW Department of Education

Email:  set@det.nsw.edu.au

Telephone: 1300 880 367

Entry into Years 8 - 11 2026

Applications for entry in 2026 are now closed.

Check the website regularly for updates on the next application period and instructions on how to apply.

Students seeking a place at Smith's Hill High School after Semester 1 in Year 7 make an application directly to the school. Each selective school administers its own application and selection processes for Years 8 - 11.

Link to information for parents and carers.

Prospective applicants should be aware that:

• Student numbers at Smith’s Hill High School are limited to 120 in Years 7 - 10. Entry into Years 8 - 10 is limited, with vacancies occurring only when a current student leaves the school.
• For Year 11, up to 20 additional vacancies may be offered, subject to applicants satisfying the advertised selection criteria and availability of places in particular subjects.
• Smith’s Hill High School does not accept enrolments into Year 12
• Students coming into the area from elsewhere in Australia or from overseas can submit an application from their current location but will need to undertake the eligibility tests on site at the school. Parents are advised to investigate enrolment at other local public high schools.
• Students sit the test for a place on the eligibility list. A place on the eligibility list is not a guarantee of an offer of enrolment.
• The selection of students eligible for enrolment is based on academic merit. As a guide, students should be at or near the top of their current school cohort in several subjects and significantly above average (top 12%) in performance against state or national age cohorts.
• Enrolment in a public selective high school is limited to students who are Australian Citizens, Permanent Residents and some Temporary Resident Visa subclasses. Students who are offered a place at the school must supply documentation which supports their residency status.
• The test results remain valid for two years and the applicant will stay on the list for this period, we request that we are kept updated with reports and NAPLAN results.
• Where students have been on the Eligibility List for two years they will need to undertake another eligibility test to ensure a valid comparison between candidates can be made by the selection panel. This test will attract a fee of $130 to cover the costs of administration.

Application process for enrolment in Years 8 – 11, 2026

1. Application

For the school to make a balanced assessment of each application, parents will be required to complete the application form and provide evidence of academic information, as copies of the original documents:

• Application form - Years 8-11 2026
• two most recent school reports
• NAPLAN results (Year 5 & Year 7 or Year 7 & Year 9)
• results from any national competitions or other information as evidence of academic merit
• a current email address, as this is our preferred method of correspondence.

Applications can be emailed to the school  smithshill-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au  or can be submitted in person at the school office.

2. Assessment of academic information

A school selection panel assesses the academic information provided.

If the panel believes the information indicates the student is:

• likely to meet entry benchmarks, parents are contacted by email to invite the student to take the eligibility test; or
• unlikely to meet entry benchmarks, parents are contacted by email to notify them that the application has been unsuccessful and the student has not been invited to take the eligibility test. In this situation parents, who would nevertheless like their son/daughter to have the opportunity to take the eligibility test, can request for them to do so.

3. Eligibility test

The test is made up of four separate assessment tasks conducted online at the school. These assessment tasks are in reading (comprehension), writing, numeracy (no calculator), and general ability.

For all students undertaking the eligibility tests there is a  non-refundable administration fee of $130 payable prior to the test being taken. Parents will receive a detailed report of student performance in each of the four tasks via email.

4. Assessment of eligibility test results and academic information

The school selection panel assesses the test results together with the supporting academic information. Parents will be contacted by email to notify them of the outcome.

Students who have met the entry benchmarks are invited, along with their parents, to an interview with the Principal. Where students have not met entry benchmarks, parents are advised that the application has been unsuccessful.

4. Interview with the Principal

If the interview indicates the student is suited to the selective school environment they will be placed on the eligibility list. Parents will receive an email with formal notification that the student has been placed on the eligibility list.

5. Opportunity for enrolment

If a vacancy arises, the school selection panel refers to the eligibility list to determine the student to whom an offer of enrolment will be made.