Kariong Mountains High School


Kariong Mountains High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located in, as suburb in the Central Coast region of New South Wales, Australia.
Established on 22 February 2010 for students in Year 7 and Year 8 only, the school enrolled 540 students in 2018, from Year 7 to Year 12, of whom five percent identified as Indigenous Australians and ten percent were from a language background other than English. The school is operated by the NSW Department of Education; the principal is Anne Vine.

Curriculum

Students in Years 7-12 study subjects as determined by the NSW Education Standards Authority. In Years 7–8, students study the mandatory subjects, with the Language Other Than English option being Japanese. Classes are also offered in STEAM/Biosciences, WRAD, Digital Technology and Careers. In Years 9-10, students choose three elective subjects, in addition to the mandatory curriculum. A wide range of subjects are offered, with student choice being a key factor in determining final selections. Students in Years 11-12 are able to choose from a wide range of courses, with English being the only compulsory area of study. Additionally, students can undertake VET in Construction, Hospitality and/or Music Industry or participate in a School Based Apprenticeship program, giving them dual qualifications at the HSC level.

History

The opening of Kariong Mountains High school was the result of a consistent and determined effort over two decades by a group of community citizens determined to provide a high school for their children. As a result of this effort, a 7-12 high school was built in the grounds of Mt Penang Parklands.
The Kariong area features temperate rainforest. Trees in the vicinity of Kariong Mountains High School support hollow dependent native fauna species including nocturnal mammals such as possums and gliders, microbats and some bird species such as parrots, cockatoos and wood ducks. Mature native trees would have been logged in the area throughout the 19th century.
For most of the 20th century, the high school site and the adjacent Mount Penang Parklands were part of a much larger site that accommodated an institution for the care, control and rehabilitation of delinquent and destitute boys. Originally known as the Gosford Farm Home for Boys, the institution was established in 1911 on 681 acres of temperate rainforest at the summit of Penang Mountain, four kilometres west of Gosford. In 1946, the institution was renamed the Mount Penang Training School for Boys, reflecting a new emphasis on vocational training for rehabilitation. It became the Mount Penang Juvenile Justice Centre in 1991, but was closed and relocated to the new purpose-built Frank Baxter Centre in 1999.
The Festival Development Corporation took over most the site at this time, and renamed it Mount Penang Parklands. The High School site was excised from the Festival Development Corporation in 2008. Most of the Parklands, including the Kariong High School site, are listed on the New South Wales State Heritage Register.

Overview

In 2014 the school farewelled its inaugural year 12 students with commendable HSC results in mathematics – First in the State on the Merit Roll, a first for any school, from any system, on the Central Coast.
The school's stated purpose is to challenge students to reach their full potential, having the skills necessary to be respected and successful citizens in an ever-changing society.
The Kariong Mountains High School sporting teams are the KMHS Wolves.

Notable students