Carlingford High School

At Carlingford High School, we are committed to delivering a quality education in a safe and caring, co-educational environment. Our aim is to develop considerate and responsible individuals who can learn and act independently to achieve personal excellence. We consistently reinforce high expectations and our core values of co-operation, achievement, respect, learning and ownership. Our outstanding co-curricular and extra curricular programs, particularly in music, dance, drama, debating and sport also provide tremendous opportunities for student growth and involvement outside the classroom. Our teaching staff are a dedicated and caring group of professionals who bring their expertise and energy to engaging and inspiring students to learn and achieve. A strong focus on quality teaching and rigorous literacy and numeracy programs underpin high expectations for academic effort and the achievement of personal bests. With a demonstrated capacity to provide a robust infrastructure of technology and IT support, our school has a clear focus on 21st Century learners and 21st Century learning. Carlingford High is situated on a large 12 hectare site with excellent teaching facilities complemented by specialist rooms, expansive playing fields and recreational spaces. Please take the time to tour our website and further explore the wonderful opportunities Carlingford High School has to offer your son or daughter.
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Employee Count: 27
Keywords: government administration

2017 sees Carlingford High School celebrate 50 years of providing Carlingford and its surrounding communities with a high quality education. The years have seen a talented student body graduate from this iconic institution of learning as they still do today. It behooves us to celebrate them us as we usher in a new age of learning with computers and digitised worlds so far removed from the slate boards of yesteryear, but still hold true to the age old ideals of preparing young minds to face an ever challenging world with knowledge and skills second to none.

The school will celebrate the passing of time and the promise of days to come with a Back to Carlo Day on Saturday 12 August 2017 from 1pm-4pm where past students will be able to revisit their alma mater and mix with current staff and students.

This year will also see the grand opening of the covered outdoor learning area (COLA) with pomp and ceremony. This event on Wednesday 9 August, organised by the Student Representative Council (SRC), will be attended by Amanda Keller, alumna of CHS . Students, teachers and other guests will be treated to tasty treats as well as a variety of entertainment and activities to celebrate the milestone.

The early adventurers
Mr M. J. Maiden was appointed as the first principal of Carlingford High School while he was principal of Granville Boys’ High School in 1967. He took up the appointment in 1968. The following is an excerpt from a letter he wrote to the Parents and Citizens Committee.

from the thoughts of my years at CHS MJ Maiden
The original students of CHS were boarding at Pennant Hills HS as they waited for the building to be ready. In fact only A block, a couple of rooms in B block and the canteen were ready when the school opened on Tuesday 30 January 1968. 120 Form Two (Year 8) and 320 Form One (Year 7) students and no clerical staff as well as a limited teaching staff reported to CHS this day. In fact Mr Maiden only met the teaching staff for the first time as well.
The badge and motto were designed in deference to the historical roots of the name Carlingford; a loch in Ireland from which Viking marauders would launch their raids. Hence the Viking theme.

The Parents and Citizens Committee was established in 1968 and Mr Maiden remembers that organisation as being ‘ the biggest and most enthusiastic’ he had ever encountered. The students were remembered as central to the school and Mr Maiden instituted the SRC to ensure that students then (as it holds true now) cherished CHS as THEIR school.


Mr Maiden retired in June 1974. He was succeeded in January 1975 by Mr Don Bray, in 1988 by Mr Allen Beggs and in 1994 by Mrs Jan Dale. In his years at the school, he established many of the institutions and policies which to this day, are still important in the life of the school, albeit in changed forms. These include a strong belief in the value of uniform; a constant striving for academic excellence; a conviction that community and students should be actively involved in the life of the school. Mr DJ Krust, our current principal, continues to uphold these values and CHS continues to go from strength to strength. The following words from Mr Maiden are testament to the ethos of the school to this day:

“The Irish Carlingford was named by the Vikings who made it one of their main resorts; the Viking Ship on our badge signifies this link between our Carlingford and the Irish Carlingford. At the same time, the boomerang on which the motto appears links the badge with the pre-white period of our
history, for our Carlingford was an old corro­boree ground…. above all else the Vikings were adventurers and their Viking Ship is sym­bolic of this. Education is an adventure, a never-ending adventure; it is my aim that our students will have their minds so interested and stimulated that their quest for knowledge will never cease; it is my aim that alI teachers who join our staff will search for new ways to pres­ent their subiect, new ways to catch the inter­est of their students…”
(MJ Maiden in The Viking, August 1968)

Finally, the school is indeed proud to have hosted exemplary students, excellent staff and served a fantastic parent and community to this day. Long may our adventures continue. Come celebrate with us as we take a walk down memory lane and pay due reverence to the past with an eye to a promising future.


Did you know?
The school was originally to be named Carlingford North High School.
The school opened on Tuesday 30 January 1968 on this site.
The official opening was in 1972 when the school had the first Sixth Form
B D E blocks were completed by 1971
The school hall opened in 1993
Initially essential supplies were brought in by Mr Maiden from Granville Boys’ High School and Mr Leeder ( DP) from Pendle Hill High School.
The school newspaper was titled The Viking and launched in August 1968.