Hurlstone Agricultural High School

What Hurlstone Agricultural High School does

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is a NSW Department of Education public selective co-educational boarding high school for Years 7–12, located in Glenfield, NSW (Roy Watts Rd) and operating since 1878. It is the only fully selective co-educational agricultural boarding public high school in NSW, enrolling high-achieving students from across the state through the NSW DoE selective school application process and the Higher Ability Selection Test (HAST) for mid-year entry. The school serves two primary cohorts: high-achieving day students and regional, rural, and remote boarding students, with the latter accommodated in on-campus boarding facilities including 24-hour nurse access and structured study programs.

The school's core academic product is selective secondary education delivered across nine faculties (Agriculture, CAPA, English, LOTE, Mathematics, PDHPE, Science, TAS, Welfare), supplemented by the Inspire High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program and a dedicated 5Ps wellbeing framework. Its differentiated offering centers on the Farm Hub — a 90-hectare operational farm functioning as a living laboratory, including a 200-head Suffolk stud recorded on LambPlan, dairy operations, free-range laying hens, and hydroponic and traditional vegetable enterprises that integrate biology, chemistry, physics, and mathematics curricula. Supporting facilities include a purpose-built STEAM facility (opened 2019), 11 specialist laboratories (five with fume hoods), a commercial kitchen, and the Stanley Cook Memorial Library with an HSC Visual Arts studio. The digital learning stack integrates Microsoft Teams, Atomi, Mathspace, Desmos, GeoGebra, and MathsOnline, while parent engagement runs through Sentral, SchoolBytes, SchoolTV, and Reach (boarder-specific).

Hurlstone is a government state entity, not a commercial enterprise. Revenue is primarily NSW DoE block and per-student funding (with instruction provided free of charge), supplemented by undisclosed boarding fees for regional/rural/remote students and voluntary parent contributions. Distribution is exclusively through the NSW DoE selective enrollment system and on-campus boarding intake. The school's 51–100 staff are led by Principal Christine Castle, supported by a four-Deputy-Principal structure covering year groups, boarding, and capital works. Strategic partnerships with the University of Sydney (Camden Campus), TOCAL College, the Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, and the ASEAN–Australia BRIDGE Program underpin pathway and enrichment offerings.

Name

Hurlstone Agricultural High School

Legal name

Hurlstone Agricultural High School

Website

https://hurlstone-h.schools.nsw.gov.au

Company type

Public

Founded year

1878

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is NSW's only fully selective co-educational agricultural boarding public high school (Years 7–12), operated by the NSW Department of Education in Glenfield. It serves high-achieving day students and regional/rural boarding students with selective academics and a 90-hectare working farm.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Public High Schools (EDAJAAAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs (EDAJAGAE)

Keywords

• Selective high school education
• Agricultural education programs
• Secondary school education
• Boarding school services
• Gifted education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Glenfield

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As a NSW Department of Education public school, Hurlstone is primarily funded by government. Instruction is provided free of charge in NSW public schools for every child.
2. Boarding Fees: Boarding facilities for regional, rural, and remote students generate revenue. Boarding provides accommodation, meals, and academic support programs.
3. Voluntary School Contributions: In NSW public schools, all financial contributions are voluntary. Every student has full access to the curriculum regardless of whether contributions are made.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is NSW's only fully selective co-educational agricultural boarding public high school, delivering Years 7-12 secondary education under the NSW Department of Education. The school combines academic selective entry with a hands-on agricultural curriculum on a 90-hectare operational farm, a high-potential and gifted education (HPGE) program, and on-site boarding facilities for students from Years 7-12.

Product overview

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is NSW's only fully selective co-educational agricultural boarding public high school, offering a unified educational program for Years 7-12. The core offerings include selective academic education delivered through subject-specific faculties (Agriculture, CAPA, English, LOTE, Mathematics, PDHPE, Science, TAS, Welfare), the Farm Hub for hands-on agricultural learning, and the Inspire HPGE program for high potential and gifted students. Supporting services include boarding facilities, parent communication portals (Sentral, School Bytes, SchoolTV, Reach), extracurricular programs, wellbeing support through the 5Ps framework, and behavior management policies. The school integrates with digital learning platforms including Microsoft Teams, Atomi, Mathspace, Desmos, GeoGebra, and MathsOnline for curriculum delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Selective High School Education (Years 7-12) Fully selective co-educational secondary education for Years 7-12, delivered under the NSW Department of Education curriculum. Students are admitted through the NSW Selective High School Placement Test and follow an academic program integrated with the school's agricultural focus.
• Boarding Services Residential boarding program for Years 7-12 students, featuring modern boarding facilities, a commercial kitchen, communal recreational amenities, and dedicated supervision by two Deputy Principals of Boarding. Primarily serves students from regional, rural and remote areas of NSW.
• Insight HPGE Program High Potential and Gifted Education (HPGE) program delivered on-site, with the school designated as a 'gateway school' for HPGE in the Southwest Sydney region. Targeted at high-potential and gifted students across Years 7-12.
• Farm Hub Agricultural Program Hands-on agricultural learning program delivered on a 90-hectare operational farm, incorporating livestock management, weather station data, robotics, drones, and other agricultural technologies integrated with the academic curriculum.
• Extra-curricular Programs School-organised extra-curricular activities available to enrolled students, supporting broader development beyond the formal academic and agricultural curriculum.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Campbelltown Arts CentreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for Visual Arts extension activities. Students identified as gifted in Visual Arts in Year 7 are invited to participate in extension activities at Campbelltown Arts Centre.
• Ajuga SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Ajuga where HAHS Year 8 Visual Arts students worked with younger students to produce an exhibition of works based on the theme of Monsters.
• University of Sydney (Camden Campus)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExcursions to the University of Sydney's Camden Campus for hands-on workshops in livestock production, pasture systems, and agricultural research.
• TOCAL CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAttendance at TOCAL College Open Day where students explore agricultural career pathways and interact with industry professionals.
• Royal Agricultural Society of NSWcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRAS Schools' Program visits to Sydney Royal Easter Show exploring sustainability, food and fibre systems, and biosecurity. Students also participate in Rural Youth Program and compete at Camden, Hawkesbury, and Dubbo Shows.
• ASEAN - Australia BRIDGE ProgramminorGTM or Marketing PartnerInternational connections through online workshops with schools through ASEAN - Australia BRIDGE Program for cross-cultural exchange.
• Bell ShakespeareminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnglish department excursions to Bell Shakespeare performances and workshops for Stages 4-6 students.
• Parents and Citizens Association (P&C)coreOthersStrong parent involvement through P&C, which has supported the school community for generations. Plays active role in school planning, fundraising, events, and volunteering. P&C meets once per term.
• Boarder Parent CommitteecoreOthersParents and carers of boarders work closely with school staff to strengthen communication, provide feedback, and help shape the boarding experience. Meets twice per term.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Yanco Agricultural High School: NSW Department of Education public agricultural boarding high school; the closest agricultural-education peer to Hurlstone, sharing farm-based curriculum and boarding model, though not fully selective and located in a regional area.
• North Sydney Girls High School: NSW fully selective public high school sharing selective admissions, NSW DoE funding, and selective cohort student profile; comparable in selective academic rigor though lacking agricultural and boarding specializations.
• Sydney Boys High School: One of NSW's fully selective public high schools, sharing the same selective admissions system, NSW Department of Education funding, and selective-cohort student profile as Hurlstone, though without the agricultural and boarding components.
• James Ruse Agricultural High School: NSW selective public high school historically ranked as the top-performing school in Australia; directly comparable as a co-ed selective public high school with STEM emphasis, sharing the same selective admissions process and government funding model as Hurlstone.
• Baulkham Hills High School: NSW fully selective public high school with shared selective admissions process and government funding; large suburban selective school that competes with Hurlstone for the same high-achieving student pool statewide.
• Sydney Girls High School: NSW fully selective public high school with shared selective admissions process and government operating model; comparable in offering high-achieving students a selective academic environment, though without co-ed, agricultural, or boarding offerings.
• Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School: NSW Department of Education selective agricultural public boys' boarding high school; shares agricultural curriculum emphasis, selective admission pathway, boarding model, and government funding structure with Hurlstone.
• Canterbury Boys High School: NSW selective public high school using the same HAST/Year 7 selective testing process and NSW DoE funding model as Hurlstone; serves a different socioeconomic catchment but directly comparable selective public high-school positioning.
• North Sydney Boys High School: NSW Department of Education fully selective public high school sharing the same HAST and Year 7 selective testing admissions pathway, government funding model, and selective cohort positioning as Hurlstone.

Regional players

• Merewether High School: NSW fully selective public high school with comparable selective admissions process and NSW DoE funding, but located in the Newcastle region rather than competing in the Sydney metropolitan market where Hurlstone primarily recruits.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/HurlstoneAHS
• Facebookfacebook.com/HurlstoneAgriculturalHighSchool

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hurlstone Agricultural High School