High school transition program

At Wentworth Falls Public School, we recognise that moving from primary to high school is a significant milestone in every student’s life. To support our Year 6 students in navigating this important transition with confidence and resilience, we have comprehensive designed to prepare them socially, emotionally, and academically for the changes ahead.

Partnerships and communication with high schools

To ensure a seamless transition, Wentworth Falls Public School maintains strong partnerships with our local and selective high schools. We have a structured system to share detailed student information with high schools, ensuring they are well-informed about our students’ strengths and needs before Year 7 begins.

Our partner high school

We work closely with our local high school and our selective high schools:

• Katoomba High School
• Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School
• Penrith Selective High School

Through this comprehensive and collaborative approach, Wentworth Falls Public School is committed to preparing our students for a successful and positive start to their high school journey.

Katoomba High School Transition Information

The Upper Blue Mountains Learning Community

The Blue Mountains community is truly fortunate to have access to a supportive, engaging, and vibrant public schools network. In the Upper Blue Mountains, Katoomba High School and eight local public primary schools work hand-in-hand to create outstanding opportunities for students to grow and succeed.  Together we are the Upper Blue Mountains Learning Community - a collaborative network that welcomes every child and nurtures their journey from Kindergarten to Year 12.

Find out more about our partner high school

Katoomba High School

Katoomba High School Year 6 Transition Program

As a proud member of the Upper Blue Mountains learning Community, Katoomba High School offers an exceptional range of benefits that set our students up for success in life both academically and personally.  The close connection fostered by the Learning Community means young people don’t arrive at high school as strangers – they already belong. Throughout the year, Katoomba High, and its partner primary schools collaborate on a wide range of activities designed to build confidence, friendships and skills.

Katoomba High School programs, events and activities supporting a positive transition to high school include:

·         Sneak Peak Day – Term 1 – Year 6 students visit Katoomba High for a day of tours, mini-lessons, fun activities and a BBQ lunch with our School Leaders

·         Open Night – Term 1 – An opportunity for students and families to take a tour of the school, meet the Principal and Teachers, see open classrooms, student work, demonstrations and performances

·         Student Leadership Day – Term 2 - Mentoring and inspiration for emerging leaders from all local primary schools with Federal MP Susan Templeman and High School Prefects

·         Interschool Events – Primary school students participate in a range of events and activities at Katoomba High School throughout the school year including sports gala days, Birriban Bush visits, AECG events, combine choir and dance festivals. We are also planning interschool STEM days, sustainability and gardening programs.

·         Teacher & Student Primary School Visits – Throughout the year, students and teachers from Katoomba High visit local primary school to help run sports carnivals and a range of other activities and learning experiences.

·         Orientation Day – Term 4 – Year 6 students visit Katoomba High to meet their teachers and student leaders, participate mini-lessons, learn about the day to day of High School life, ask questions, and enjoy a BBQ lunch.

·         Parent & Carer Information Evening – Term 4 – Year 6 Parents, Carers and Students are invited to an information session at school to meet staff and student leaders, learn about the day to day of high school, ask questions and order uniforms.

All of these activities and events help foster a sense of unity, curiosity for learning and belonging before students arrive at High School and throughout their first year.

Katoomba High School Support for Year 7 & Beyond

Together, our Upper Blue Mountains Learning Community provides a nurturing, stimulating environment for young people to belong, grow, thrive, feel connected to our broader community, and be part of something bigger. Some of the initiatives that support students in Year 7 and beyond include:

·         Peer Support Program - Each year, students in Year 9 are nominated and trained to become Peer Support Leaders. Then in Year 10, our Peer Support Leaders take an active role in supporting Year 7 students throughout their first days and beyond.

·         High Performance and Gifted Education – Our HPGE framework underpins every stage of learning, helping each student grow through four key domains – Academic Excellence, Personal and Social Capability, Creative and Critical Thinking, Leadership and Community Engagement. This framework develops each student’s strengths throughout their schooling journey, ensuring all learners are inspired to reach their full potential.

·         Wellbeing & Inclusion - We help every child feel safe, included and confident from their very first day so that every child is ready to learn. Our teachers and Learning and Wellbeing Support teams work with our local primary schools to co-design plans that will help students learn in the way that works best for them. We support students with disability and additional learning needs so they can take part in all areas of school life. A student does not need a formal diagnosis to receive additional support in a mainstream class and support plans can begin and change throughout high school.

·         Alternative Learning Spaces – Katoomba High has a range of alternative learning spaces to support and engage the individual needs of students beyond the mainstream classroom. We have dedicated support classes for students with disabilities, specific classrooms for students with additional behavioural or sensory needs, an Independent Learning Centre with additional learning space and support, our Birriban bush area for cultural learning and connection, a polytunnel market garden space with programs to support wellbeing and connection to nature, and more.

·         Extensive Subject Choice and Extra-Curricular Activities – Katoomba High offers a very broad curriculum and an extensive range of extra-curricular excursions, activities and groups to allow students to fulfil their own unique potential.  All students are encouraged and supported to explore their individual strengths and passions with early elective courses from Year 8 and thriving programs across a huge range of learning areas including creative and performing arts, sport, multimedia, science, applied technologies, agriculture, outdoor education, languages including Dharug, and much more.

Katoomba High School is known for its holistic approach offering a unique educational experience with diverse learning opportunities, inclusive ethos, and commitment to student success — ensuring every young person is supported to explore and discover their full potential.

Together, our Upper Blue Mountains Learning Community provides a nurturing, stimulating environment for young people to belong, grow, thrive, feel connected to our broader community, and be part of something bigger.