Taroona High School is a co-educational state high school located in Taroona, a southern riverside suburb of greater Hobart, the capital of the island state Tasmania. The school has approximately 900 students in grades 7 to 10. In 2003 Taroona High School underwent a major redevelopment. The school caters for students in the southern suburbs of Hobart such as Taroona, Dynnyrne and Sandy Bay but students also come from a wide range of other areas such as West Hobart and Blackmans Bay. The school's most notable former student is Mary, Crown Princess of Denmark.
Taroona High School features four building areas each with two or more levels:
A Block contains general classrooms on the top two floors and a Learning Centre, used for teaching children with special needs. The lower floor houses the Library and the Exploring the Ocean classroom.
B Block is composed of a mixture of general classes as well as art rooms on the top floor, with kitchens for food based courses, general purpose classrooms on the ground floor, as well as D&T workshop facilities and a fully equipped Canteen on the lower ground floor.
C Block is mainly devoted to both Music and Drama classes, with all music rooms on the top floor, and Drama facilities below. C Block also contains three computer labs, as well as a computer hardware study room and a small room used for the development of projects in conjunction with an Xbox 360 Kinect unit.
Gym - The gym is used for whole school assemblies, but mainly for the use of indoor Physical Education classes. The gym is also used for music and drama performances.
S Block contains Science labs and classrooms as well as two mobile computer labs contained within the science prep room.
Taroona High School is committed to transforming the learning environment of the school to promote innovation, creativity and excellence in all aspects of its operations. Mandatory subjects within the school vary depending on grade.
Core subjects: Maths, English, Science, Society & History, and Wellness.
Grade Sevens must participate in all core subjects, a full year course in Music and Computing, as well as half-year courses in Art, D&T, Drama, Chinese, French and Home Economics.
Grade Eights must participate in all core subjects, however they can select four electives to complete in a full year course.
Grade Nine & Tens must participate in Maths, Science, Wellness and English in both years as well as complete a Society & History (SaH) course at least once in grade nine or ten. They select several subjects on a semester or full year basis. Due to the complexity in the selection of these subjects, a Course Selection Guide is given to each Grade Eight and Nine student every year, usually on the return to third term.
Music students can study Rock/Music Industry studies or participate in the Senior Concert Band, as well as having the option of participating in the Senior Stage Band.
There are courses unique to this school(Australia wide) which include exploring the ocean, exploring the ocean advanced, and exploring the coastline these can include SCUBA diving and snorkelling and as part of these courses students can receive PADI Open Water Diver, First Aid and CPR qualifications as well as teaching marine biology as a science course.
Graphic Design is offered to grades 9 and 10 and always proves to be a very popular option.
There is also a special course in Grade 10 for students who can not keep up with the requirements of their normal class studies.
Previously there have also been quarter-year courses called 'Short Courses' although these are not offered within the current time-table.
Taroona High School participates a great deal with the Taroona Primary School, its neighbouring school, the two education facilities making up the Taroona Learning Centre. As a result, a large number of Taroona High students come from Taroona Primary School. The Taroona Learning Centre thus provides schooling from K - 10. .
Associated schools: Albuera Street, Mount Nelson, Princes Street, South Hobart, Taroona Primary, Waimea Heights.
Schools with access to Taroona High School: Campbell Street, Goulburn Street, Lansdowne Crescent, Mount Stuart (this is to ensure that students whose neighbourhood high schools are single sex schools also have access to a coeducational school).
Eric Abetz, Tasmanian Senator.
David Bartlett, Former Premier of Tasmania.
Mary Donaldson, Crown Princess of Denmark.
Rob Valentine, Former Lord Mayor of Hobart.
