As a New South Wales Department of Educationpublic high school, KHS accepts all students in Year 7 to Year 12 living in its catchment area. The catchment covers locations in Ku-ring-gai and Hornsby councils, including Dangar Island. The school also accepts, if there's space, those who "demonstrate outstanding ability and commitment in the creative arts in either dance, music, drama and/or visual arts ", as well as their siblings. Students who apply for enrolment under this criterion are required to provide a portfolio demonstrating this ability. The school has also begun taking a large number of international and exchange students and is part of the International Students Program of the NSW Department of Education.
Campus and facilities
The school features one of the last remaining bini domes called the "Margret Preston Hall" and is one of the fewpublic schools in NSW with a full sized hockey field. In 2020, the school is undergoing refurbishment and the construction of new facilities. Including 15 new future-focused classrooms and a new school hall which stands on the Front Lawn of the school.
History
The school opened its doors in February 1965 with its first group of Year 7 students. Ku-ring-gai was the first of a second wave of new co-educational high schools built in the Sydney suburbs. The school's first headmaster was Bill Eason, who promoted ideas of internationalism and peace, and later went on to found the Australian Independent School at North Ryde. During his time as headmaster, the school featured a large aviary in the front of the grounds. Bill Eason promoted an international outlook at the high school as well his other love: poetry. Students were exposed to many different types of poetry in his poetry classes and in general English classes. The first groups of students learned one of the poems of Rabindranath Tagore, "Mind Without Fear", from Gitanjali. The four houses, which are still part of the school today, and the names of the four original classroom buildings were set in 1965 - Churchill, Curie, Tagore, and Lincoln. Bill Eason selected these notable historical figures for their contributions to world leadership, science, poetry, and humanitarianism. The school colours were originally brown and gold. Ku-ring-gai was a local high school until 1996 when Mrs. B. Peatie became the headmistress and requested permission from the Department of Education to become selective in creative arts. This request was granted, and at that time there were only a few hundred students. Since then, there has been an increase in students at Ku-ring-gai, with numbers at one point rising to 900. In 2015 it celebrated its 50th year and in 2016 reverted to the name "Ku-ring-gai High School".
Creative arts
The Talent Enrichment Program is a unique innovation that allows students, in Years 7 to 10, to develop their talents, skills, and interests. The Talent Enrichment classes run for 2 hours, once a week. Students are encouraged to choose classes that will build on their existing capabilities and strengths. This opportunity for extension enables students to develop a deep understanding, experience meaningful opportunities, and create outstanding performances and artworks. While there is an emphasis on creative arts-based classes, there are also sports specialist classes and history programs. Student members of the school choir as well as a large number of dancers are selected to perform at the Arts Unit's Schools Spectacular each year. The school's singers, instrumentalists, and dancers frequently participate in Arts Unit events, eisteddfods, and external performances.
