Brisbane State High School, located in the inner-city area of South Brisbane, is Queensland’s largest secondary school with close to 3 500 students! It is also a partially selective school, making it just 1 of 4 in the state and unsurprisingly, entry into its prestigious selective programs is highly competitive.
BHSH, with its deep-rooted cultural heritage and unique learning environment, has come to symbolise the merits of a state school education. Since opening in 1921, it has seen a number of past students contribute to both the Australian and international community through achievements in diverse areas including academia, sports and cinema.
The school motto is scienta est potestas, Latin for “knowledge is power,” which accurately represents the school’s belief that through the pursuit of knowledge, students can make a lasting difference in their community and the wider world.
Entry
There 4 ways to gain a place at the well-respected school:
Academic Selective Entry
BSHS prides itself on its strong tradition of academic excellence, with Academic Selective Entry open to only a limited number of students. Students are required to sit the Academic Selective Entry Test, which is the primary selection criterion that ranks high-performing young students. The test, also known as the High Ability Selection Test (HAST), consists of 4 sections: abstract reasoning, mathematical reasoning, written expression and reading comprehension.
Cultural Selective Entry (Instrumental music or visual arts)
BSHS excels in the arts and chooses students for the Cultural Selective entry category based on their instrumental talents (for orchestral instruments only) or a portfolio that showcases the student’s artistic abilities.
Sporting Selective Entry
BSHS has a long-standing sporting tradition and students are selected based on their sporting achievements. Students who enter under this category are expected to continue with their entry sport throughout their high school years.
Local-intake area
BSHS is strongly committed to students living in the local area, with 55% of enrolments from within the local-intake area. To be eligible for catchment enrolment, students must provide evidence that their place of residence is genuinely within the defined catchment area.
Fun fact
BSHS has its very own school war cry:
Shhhhhhhhh . . .
Wooo . . .
High school, war cry, 1, 2, 3!
High high,
High, high, high,
Oompa oompa
Ya ya ya,
Rik rik rik-a-tik,
High, high, high
Pilly willy wing, ping pong ti groo
High school, high school,
Blue, red, blue!