About Adelaide High School
For well over a century, we have been proudly educating young people in South Australia.
Established in 1908, Adelaide High School was the first public high school in the Australian Commonwealth.
Today, Adelaide High caters for 1900 students from Years 7 - 12. Adelaide High is recognised as a successful and innovative South Australian public school, offering students a dynamic learning environment to support them to achieve their potential.
We proudly offer students a diverse range of curricular and co-curricular opportunities accompanied by supportive mentor group programs. All learning opportunities at Adelaide High School are underpinned by our school motto 'non scholae sed vitae' ('not only for school but for life') and focus on helping students build the skills, qualities and capabilities to embrace an uncertain and unpredictable future. Our curriculum, co-curricular program and House system challenge, engage, enrich, support and stretch all learners who attend Adelaide High.
A variety of mentor group programs provide opportunities for students to learn about themselves and develop skills to recognise their responsibility to contribute positively to our school and local and global communities.
Adelaide High is also recognised for its Special Interest programs. In 1979, the school was designated South Australia's only Special Interest Language School. This enables students to enrol and study two of the eight languages on offer and engage in opportunities for study tours biennially. Adelaide High also offers a Special Interest Rowing Program and a Special Interest Cricket Program and a specialized program for deaf and hard of hearing students.
For more information about enrolment, click here.
Our Priorities
- Continuous, sustainable improvement
- High achievement and growth for every student
- High impact, inclusive and engaging teacher practice
- Safe, respectful, kind and productive classrooms
- Wellbeing for learning; learning for wellbeing
- Connection and attendance
Our improvement priorities are underpinned by our department’s strategic plan and vision, and the Adelaide-Prospect Partnership priority of Accelerating Learner Achievement for every learner.
Our Pillars of Professional Practice
Intentionally understanding our students
- Data informed - understanding the whole students
- Knowing what to teach next (targeted, intentional teaching and stretch for every learner)
- Equity - every student thrives
Intentionally understanding and improving our practice
- Intentional and personalised learning design
- High impact pedagogy
- High impact literacy/numeracy improvement strategies and pedagogy (SIP)
Intentionally understanding and improving our impact
- Data informed, reflective practice
- Collaborative moderation
- Professional learning and accountability
Intentionally collaborating in professonal learning and reflective practice
- Strengthening professional collaboration - PLCs
- Learning together - intentional, collaborative learning design impact analysis
- High teacher efficacy
Adelaide High School Improvement Plan (SIP)
Our School Improvement Plan is developed on the premise that intentionally developing literacy and numeracy skills for all of our learners underpins success at school and beyond. While some strategies are whole school and are implemented by every teacher, others are implemented across specific learning areas (literacy across English and HASS, numeracy across STEM subjects). The SIP is supported by the Adelaide High School Pillars of Professional Practice, the Adelaide High School Aboriginal Learner Achievement Action Plan and Curriculum Area Team Action Plans.