Starting high school
Starting high school is an exciting milestone for students and families. Moving from Year 6 to Year 7 can feel like a big change. We help every child feel confident and supported during the transition to high school.
Going to high school will be a new experience for your child. The school is likely to be much bigger than their primary school, and your child may experience a slight sense of unfamiliarity at first. Instead of being a senior in a small school, they are now a beginner in a big school. However, it is also an exciting time with many opportunities and a broader curriculum.
For more information:
What to expect in high school
High school brings new experiences and routines, including:
- a larger school with more subjects, teachers and classrooms
- a timetable with different lessons each day
- moving between classrooms and carrying books and equipment
- more independence and responsibility for homework and study
- new friendships
- opportunities to join activities and clubs
- learning opportunities that extend thinking, encourage creativity, strengthen wellbeing and build on individual interests and abilities
- tailored support during lessons that stretch, challenge and inspire.
Enrolment information
Mitchell High School is a comprehensive co-educational secondary school in Blacktown NSW.
We are proud to be part of a strong public education system and welcome students and parents and carers from different backgrounds and cultures.
Our school is recognised for innovative teaching and providing our students with co-curricular activities, including specialised iSTEM program, tournament of minds, debating, sports, dance and drama ensembles...read more.
High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE)
Our High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program promotes engagement and challenges and supports every student, regardless of background, in every school across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains. Students have access to quality learning opportunities to encourage their potential and meet their needs and aspire their talents to develop to their optimal growth.
Additional learning support
We offer our students a wide range of subjects and opportunities to empower them to learn, develop skills, and discover their passions.
High quality education provides our students with the knowledge, skills, and values for life success, focusing on holistic student development within inclusive and supportive learning environments.
Subjects
A strong school start involves establishing consistent daily school routines.
School organisation, a positive mindset, and practical preparations like a balanced schedule and a healthy environment are crucial for a smooth and successful transition into a new school term for both students and families.
We help every child feel safe, included and confident from their very first day.
"The Inspire - High Potential and Gifted Educatio (HPGE) class exists to provide high-potential students with a learning environment that challenges them, extends them, and recognises their capacity for advanced thinking. The purpose of the class is to deliver deeper, faster and more complex learning experiences while promoting curiosity, independence and intellectual resilience. It aims to nurture students’ strengths across a range of domains, encourage them to take academic risks, and support them in achieving at a level that reflects both their ability and their effort."
We offer high quality learning opportunities to all HPGE students through our programs which include:
- Specialised iSTEM Program
- Academic Extension Classes
- Acceleration Pathways for Year 10
- Advanced Learning Pathways
- Dance Ensemble
- Debating
- Book Club
- Chess Club
- Choir
- Creative Writing Club
- Drama Classes
- Dungeons and Dragons Club
- Enrichment, Extension and Extracurricular Programs.
- Environmental Club
- Gardening Group
- Movement Class
- Music Enrichment
- Open Movement Class
- Peer Support Programs
- Poetry Club
- Schools Spectacular
- School Leaders Body (SLB)
- Specialist Sporting Programs. For example: High Potential Volleyball and High Potential Soccer
- Tournament of Minds
- Visual Arts Enrichment
The Debating Program provides students with valuable opportunities to develop their confidence, critical thinking, teamwork and public speaking skills. Students learn to construct persuasive arguments, respond effectively to different perspectives and communicate their ideas clearly and confidently.
Throughout the year, students collaborate with surrounding schools and participate in a range of interschool debating and public speaking competitions. These opportunities allow students to apply their skills in a competitive environment, engage with students from other schools and proudly represent Mitchell High School.
Debating is open to students of all experience levels and provides an engaging and supportive environment in which students can challenge themselves, develop their voice and become active members of the school community.
HPGE aspire class: A specialised program for students demonstrating high potential, offering a rich and stimulating curriculum.
Embedded HPGE activities: Enrichment is part of everyday learning, with opportunities designed to extend all students and nurture their talents.
Next Gen Mitchell - High Potential & Gifted Education (HPGE) Program is aimed to support HPGE Year 5 students transitioning to high school
Mitchell High School is proud to present Next Gen Mitchell, an innovative, next-level transition program designed for our upcoming generation of students.
The Next Gen Program supports all students as they transition from primary to high school, focusing on the four HPGE domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical.
Year 5 students are handpicked by their teachers from our partner primary schools, participating students have demonstrated exceptional promise across the four HPGE domains: intellectual, creative, social-emotional, and physical. This year, we welcome talented young people from Shelley and Blacktown South Public Schools as they take their first exciting steps into high school life.
Next Gen Mitchell goes beyond the traditional primary-to-high school transition. It's a rich, hands-on experience that challenges students to extend their talents across a diverse range of learning areas, including Music, Dance, Creative Arts, STEM, Textiles, and Orienteering.
Next Gen gives students a chance to extend their talents, build confidence and get a head start on an exciting future at Mitchell High.
Every student who completes the program receives a Certificate of Participation, while our dedicated facilitators are honoured with a Certificate of Recognition, because developing great minds takes great people.
"At Mitchell High School, we believe every student deserves the opportunity to reach their full potential. Next Gen Mitchell is where that journey begins."
More information on Next Gen Mitchell
The Next Gen Mitchell program is a partnership between Mitchell High School, Shelley Public School, and Blacktown South Public School.
The program runs across three school terms, Term 1, 2 and 3, and offers workshops specifically designed to extend and challenge talented students.
The workshops available:
- Creative Arts
- Dance
- Orienteering (map and navigation activities)
- Music
- STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)
- Textiles (sewing and fabric work).
These workshops are designed for students who enjoy new learning experiences and is specifically designed to extend and challenge high potential and gifted learners. Each workshop has up to 20 students, allowing teachers to provide targeted support, meaningful discussions and opportunities for deeper learning.
A key strength of the program is the implementation of carefully planned lessons by teachers to encourage higher-order thinking, creativity, collaboration and problem solving, while exposing students to the expectations and learning styles of a secondary school environment. Primary school students are challenged to think critically, take intellectual risks and apply their skills in innovative ways within each subject area. The workshops encourages student voice, independence and inquiry-based learning, ensuring participants remain actively engaged and motivated throughout the program.
Mitchell High School staff work collaboratively to create learning experiences that not only reflect the curriculum of their specialist subject areas, but also foster curiosity, resilience and confidence in students as capable learners.
The continuation of the Next Gen Program highlights the strong partnership we have built with our local primary schools. We are commitment to helping every student reach their full potential and continue to deliver enriched opportunities to develop the talents of HPGE students.
For more information: Connecting with our primary schools
Mr S. Debrincat, Next Gen Mitchell Program Coordinator
Want to learn more about our school? Please call our school and we are happy to answer any questions or concerns. We’re here to help.
We are located at 52 Keyworth Drive, Blacktown NSW 2148
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