Our principal and staff

Welcome from our Principal

Orange High School has proudly provided high-quality learning experiences to students in Central Western NSW for over 100 years. Today, we educate up to 1000 students from within the regional city of Orange and its rural surroundings on Wiradjuri country. The foundation of our school community is based on honouring the past with respected traditions while creating the future. Our school provides a high-quality, comprehensive secondary education underpinned by the motto: whatever we do, we do to the best of our ability.

At Orange High School, we understand that for our students to reach their potential, they must know how to interact with others in respectful, safe, stimulating and rewarding learning environments. We aim to prepare our students with the skills needed for lifelong, effective participation in their communities.

We relentlessly pursue excellence in all aspects of education and understand our vital role in educating young people to become connected, engaged, knowledgeable and productive individuals.Our strong academic culture is reflected in our outstanding HSC results, with students consistently achieving at the highest bands across a range of subjects. These results are a testament to our commitment to explicit teaching, where learning is intentionally structured, expectations are made clear, and feedback is purposeful and timely. Lessons are designed to build deep understanding and mastery, ensuring that every student knows what they are learning, why they are learning it, and how to improve.

At Orange High School, our commitment to high expectations is reinforced through The OHS Way, a school-wide approach that embeds consistent routines and clear expectations in every classroom. The OHS Way ensures all students begin each lesson with a purposeful ‘Do Now’ activity, engage in structured and respectful learning, and complete an exit task to consolidate their understanding.

We implement the NSW Department of Education’s High Potential and Gifted Education policy, ensuring that students demonstrating high potential across intellectual, creative, social-emotional and physical domains are supported to achieve their personal best. Our approach includes differentiated learning, acceleration opportunities, enrichment programs and targeted extension, enabling all students, from emerging talent to high achievers, to thrive.

Many of our teachers have been recognised with the prestigious Minister’s Award for Excellence in Teaching, the highest professional recognition award possible for a teacher in NSW. Students benefit from highly skilled, innovative educators who use research-informed strategies to deliver engaging, rigorous and challenging lessons for all learners.

Students at Orange High School have an enviable record of success in a wide range of individual and team sporting pursuits. We regularly have students represent our school at state and national competitions. Through sports, students develop fitness and a range of skills, including teamwork, collaboration, reliability and passion. Our dancers, choir and Orange High School Band are widely recognised and acclaimed, performing at local, state and national events. We proudly offer a wide range of visual arts, dance, drama and extracurricular opportunities.

We look forward to meeting with you and working in an ongoing partnership to ensure your child receives the best education possible. Please contact us to answer any of your queries further.

Mrs Alison McLennan, Principal of Orange High School