Established 1977 Years offered 7-12 Principal Chris Booth Motto Give, Grow, Guide | Staff 200 Phone +61 8 9334 7200 Number of students 2,277 (14 February 2016) | |
Type Public, Secondary, Co-educational, Day school Enrolment 2,229 (14 February 2016) Colour(s) Light blue and maroon (7-10); White and maroon (11-12) Address Pinetree Gully Rd, Willetton WA 6155, Australia Similar Rossmoy Senior High Sch, Applecross Senior High Sch, Leeming Senior High Sch, Melville Senior High Sch, Willetton Primary School一 Profiles | ||
Willetton senior high school
Willetton Senior High School (WSHS) is the largest government high school in Western Australia and one of the top schools in the state.
Contents
History
The school first opened in February 1977 with a student population of 77. It currently has a 2016 enrolment of 2229 students and employs 200 staff. It is located about 11 km due south of Perth City and 15 km east of the port of Fremantle. The school is located near community facilities and the Southlands Boulevarde shopping centre. The catchment area in the 1990s used to include optional enrolments from Riverton. The student catchment area for WSHS encompasses the suburb of Willetton and part of the suburb of Bull Creek, which is shared by Leeming Senior High School. Willetton and nearby Rossmoyne Senior High School (with features similar to Willetton) are highly competitive.
The school underwent a multimillion-dollar renovation starting in 2014. At the commencement of Semester Two in 2014 the school was found to have been contaminated with asbestos after construction workers found pieces of asbestos had fallen off the roof of a building slated for demolition. The school was closed for a week so the site could be inspected. Teachers were sent to work from North Lake Senior High School where they connected with students via the internet so that classes could continue.
Campus
WSHS covers an area of approximately 4500 m2. There are seven main buildings along with numerous transportable buildings some many years old. A $5 million upgrade completed in 2008 saw the construction of a new gymnasium and several new facilities.
The state government announced in 2012 that it would commence a A$80 million upgrade to the school in early 2013.
Academics
The school has performed well in the WACE exams and is often rated as one of the best public schools in the state.
Special programs
WSHS is one of several schools offering the Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) entry to which is through a rigorous centrally organised testing program. Entry to the science focus Talented And Gifted (TAG) program is managed at the school level. There is also a specialist fine arts course for Years 8 to 10 and an exceptionally successful senior school art program. The centrally endorsed specialist course in computing was the first of its kind in WA and has recently been expanded to include a multimedia stream. The centrally endorsed specialist basketball course which runs from Year 8 to 12 is unique in the State as it offers students a TAFE Certificate III and a tertiary entry interface. Both male and female teams have won multiple national championships.
International Relations
WSHS has a sister school relationship with The High School and Junior High School of University of Hyogo located in Akō District of Hyogo Prefecture. Cultural exchange between the two schools commenced in 1995 and a collaborative international partnership was established in 2005. WSHS also maintains relations that provide opportunities for students of French and Italian to study overseas.