Direct Answer
Southern Sydney’s public-school network comprises 14 government high schools that accept international student applications for entry between Years 7 and 12. As of 1 June 2026 NSW Department of Education advisory data, five of these schools require enrolment within a designated intake area (catchment), five report limited homestay availability, and four offer no English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) targeted support. One senior campus cannot accept any enrolment in 2026; two schools restrict Year 11 commencement to Term 1 only. All capacity figures are indicative and subject to change; actual placement is confirmed only through formal assessment by DE International. The region covers the St George district, the Sutherland Shire and parts of the Georges River council area, presenting a mix of commuter-friendly suburbs, beachside campuses, and strong local transport links. For families prioritising a defined geographic footprint with clear enrolment zone rules and modest rent gradient, this cluster warrants close attention when mapping an application strategy.
Region Overview
Southern Sydney stretches from the southern shore of Botany Bay along the T4 Illawarra and Eastern Suburbs railway line, through the Georges River and down to the Sutherland Shire beaches. The area is characterised by established residential neighbourhoods, significant green space, and a commuting culture built around reliable rail access to the Sydney central business district. Journey times from hubs such as Hurstville or Sutherland to Town Hall station average 25–35 minutes. Bus networks provide the last-mile link to campuses less directly served by rail, including Menai, Engadine and Cronulla. An Opal card concession arrangement applies to eligible international students under NSW transport policy.
Rental accommodation in the broader region reflects the suburban balance. Median advertised rents for a one-bedroom unit in mid-2026 range from approximately AUD 450–500 per week in Kogarah, Bayside and Peakhurst to AUD 520–600 closer to Cronulla and the Georges River waterfront. Shared housing options near major transport nodes tend to be available, though competition for properties within walking distance of catchment-enforced schools can tighten over application periods. Homestay placements, arranged through DE International-approved providers, are the standard accommodation pathway for students not residing with a parent or eligible relative.
Community demographics across Southern Sydney are diverse. The St George area has a significant proportion of families with Chinese, Nepalese, Filipino and Macedonian heritage, while the Sutherland Shire retains a predominantly Anglo-European profile. All 14 schools in this guide deliver the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) curriculum culminating in the Higher School Certificate (HSC). The concentration of schools without on-campus EAL/D programs, and the presence of senior-only or Year-11-restricted entry, means application decisions must be calibrated by year level and language proficiency.
School List
The 14 public high schools in Southern Sydney open to international students as of 1 June 2026 are set out below. For each school, the advisory open-year bands for 2026 and 2027 are listed, together with catchment status, homestay provision, EAL/D availability and any operative restrictions. All information is sourced from the NSW Department of Education International Student Capacity Update dated 1 June 2026.
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Bayside High School · Suburb: Bayside · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
No restrictive flags. The school does not impose a designated intake area for international students, and EAL/D support is on the curriculum. -
Beverly Hills Girls High School · Suburb: Beverly Hills · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
A single-sex senior pathway school with EAL/D provision; no catchment constraint applies. -
Blakehurst High School · Suburb: Blakehurst · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: Yes · Homestay: limited · EAL/D: available · Flags: Year 11 students must commence from Term 1.
Catchment rules apply. Any Year 11 enrolment, domestic or international, must start in Term 1; mid-year entry is not permitted. -
Cronulla High School · Suburb: Cronulla · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: limited · EAL/D: not available.
The school provides no formal EAL/D program. Homestay options exist but are limited. In 2026, only Years 7–9 are listed with capacity, though the 2027 profile expands to Years 10 and 11. -
Engadine High School · Suburb: Engadine · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: limited · EAL/D: not available.
No catchment restriction for international students, but applicants must be able to manage the mainstream curriculum without dedicated EAL/D support. -
Georges River College – Hurstville Campus · Suburb: Hurstville · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · Catchment: No · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
A Year 7–10 feeder campus for the Georges River College network; students transition to the Oatley Senior Campus for Years 11 and 12. -
Georges River College – Oatley Senior Campus · Suburb: Oatley · 2026: Cannot accept any enrolments in 2026 · 2027: Year 11 only · Catchment: No · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
A senior college open only to Year 11 and 12 students. The 2026 enrolment freeze means no new international students can be placed in 2026. For 2027, capacity is limited to Year 11 entry. -
Georges River College – Peakhurst Campus · Suburb: Peakhurst · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · Catchment: Yes · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
Year 7–10 only. Enrolment is subject to the designated intake area for international students. -
Georges River College – Penshurst Campus · Suburb: Penshurst · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · Catchment: Yes · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
A Year 7–10 campus with catchment restrictions and EAL/D support. No senior classes on site. -
Kogarah High School · Suburb: Kogarah · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: Yes · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available · Flags: Year 11 students must commence from Term 1.
Catchment rules apply; Year 11 entry is strictly Term 1 only. -
Menai High School · Suburb: Menai · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: limited · EAL/D: available.
No catchment barrier, though homestay placements are constrained. EAL/D support is provided. -
Port Hacking High School · Suburb: Miranda · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: limited support.
The school advises that EAL/D* support is limited, not a fully staffed program. Applicants should verify whether the current level of assistance meets their language needs. -
Sylvania High School · Suburb: Sylvania · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: No · Homestay: limited · EAL/D: not available.
No formal EAL/D program operates. Homestay availability is limited. Candidates lacking strong English proficiency may need to consider alternative schools with dedicated language support. -
The Jannali High School · Suburb: Jannali · 2026: Years 7, 8, 9, 10 · 2027: Years 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 · Catchment: Yes · Homestay: unspecified · EAL/D: available.
Catchment rules are enforced for international enrolments. EAL/D is available on site, and the school draws from the Jannali-Sutherland residential base.
Catchment and Accommodation
Five of the 14 schools in this region – Blakehurst High School, Georges River College Peakhurst Campus, Georges River College Penshurst Campus, Kogarah High School, and The Jannali High School – apply designated intake areas (catchment zones) to international student enrolments. The practical effect of a catchment condition is that the applicant must reside within the school’s zoned area at the time of enrolment and for the duration of enrolment, unless an exemption is approved. Families arranging private accommodation should verify the precise street-level boundary through the NSW Department of Education’s online School Finder tool before signing a lease. Failure to establish a qualifying residential address can lead to an enrolment review by DE International.
Proximity to these zones influences local rental markets. In Peakhurst and Penshurst, median unit rents sit around AUD 470–510 per week, while Jannali and Kogarah hover slightly higher, reflecting their rail proximity. Blakehurst’s peninsula location can push rents upward when seeking a unit within walking distance. For students requiring homestay, the limitation indicated by Blakehurst, Cronulla, Engadine, Menai and Sylvania means available placements through approved providers may be in neighbouring suburbs, and the student’s daily commute should be factored. Homestay arrangements for international students in NSW are arranged solely through DE International’s contracted network; independent sourcing is not permitted. Detailed guidance on the homestay framework is available in the homestay for international students guide.
Schools with no catchment restriction – such as Bayside, Beverly Hills, Menai, Cronulla, Engadine, Port Hacking and Sylvania – offer greater residential flexibility, allowing families to choose accommodation further afield or along the T4 rail spine from Hurstville to Sutherland. Applicants should still consider travel time, as the NSW DoE expects international students to maintain attendance at or above 85% and a commute exceeding 75 minutes each way is generally discouraged.
English Language Support
Dedicated English as an Additional Language or Dialect (EAL/D) teaching is absent from the offerings of Cronulla High School, Engadine High School, Sylvania High School, and Port Hacking High School (which reports only limited EAL/D support). For prospective international students who have not yet attained a strong independent command of academic English, these four schools represent a heightened academic risk. The NSW DoE may require an English language proficiency assessment as part of the application, and when EAL/D is unavailable on site, the candidate must demonstrate readiness to engage with the full mainstream curriculum from day one.
The 10 remaining schools all list EAL/D as available. Among them, Kogarah High School, Blakehurst High School, and The Jannali High School combine EAL/D provision with catchment restrictions, meaning applicants must satisfy both the language-support fit and the residential zone requirement to proceed. At the Georges River College multi-campus network, EAL/D is available at Hurstville, Peakhurst and Penshurst (Years 7–10) and at Oatley Senior Campus (Years 11–12). This structure enables a continuous EAL/D pathway from junior to senior years, provided the student moves within the college network and Oatley availability aligns.
The absence of EAL/D in four Southern Sydney schools is a deliberate program design. It reflects the staffing model and student demographic of those campuses. Candidates should not expect that a school can add EAL/D support post-enrolment; the service is either an established part of the school’s allocation or it is not. Where an applicant’s English proficiency is borderline, selecting a school with full EAL/D infrastructure is the prudent course.
Key Rules and Special Conditions
Year 11 Term 1 only entry. Blakehurst High School and Kogarah High School accept Year 11 enrolments exclusively at the start of Term 1. No mid-year Year 11 transfer, domestic or international, is permitted at either campus. This rule aligns with the compressed HSC preparation timeline: Term 4 of Year 11 is the commencement of the HSC assessment schedule, making late entry academically unviable. International applicants targeting these schools for Year 11 must ensure their visa and travel dates allow attendance from the first day of Term 1. The broader policy around Year 11 entry is explained in the Year 11 entry guide.
Senior-only campus. Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus operates solely for Years 11 and 12. It cannot accept Year 7–10 students. For 2026, the campus has no capacity for any new international enrolment. The 2027 outlook is limited to Year 11 entry only, meaning no direct Year 12 intake is planned. Students who complete Year 10 at a Georges River feeder campus (Hurstville, Peakhurst, Penshurst) can apply to continue internally, but external applicants must plan for the competitive Year 11 window.
Limited homestay. Blakehurst, Cronulla, Engadine, Menai and Sylvania are flagged for limited homestay availability. In practical terms, approved providers may have fewer host families in these postcodes, potentially extending placement lead times. Applications for these schools should be lodged well ahead of the desired commencement term, and families should discuss homestay placement likelihood with their DE International case officer early in the process.
Georges River College multi-campus structure. The four campuses operate under a federated model. Hurstville, Peakhurst and Penshurst serve Years 7–10. Peakhurst and Penshurst enforce catchment zones; Hurstville does not. Oatley is the standalone senior campus. A student enrolled at a Year 7–10 campus does not automatically secure a place at Oatley; they must apply and meet capacity conditions. For 2027, Oatley’s Year 11 intake will compete with internal feeder students and external applicants, making pre-planning essential.
Co-educational context. All 14 schools, with the exception of Beverly Hills Girls High School, are co-educational.
Who This Region Suits (and Who It Doesn’t)
Southern Sydney’s school set works well for families who can satisfy a catchment requirement or are agnostic about zone, who value a defined rail-corridor commute, and who either require full EAL/D support or have already proven English proficiency to thrive without it. The presence of a network of Year 7–10 campuses feeding a senior college offers a structured, sequential pathway – provided the applicant can secure continuity through the Georges River College system and navigate Oatley’s tight capacity.
The region is less suitable for international students who need confirmed Year 11 mid-year entry, who cannot secure accommodation within a catchment zone when required, or who lack strong English and must rely on a school with no EAL/D program. The four schools without EAL/D, the two with Term 1 restrictions, and the sole 2026 enrolment freeze at Oatley collectively close off a material share of flexibility. Applicants seeking a simpler, all-round entry route may need to consider other Sydney regions where more schools offer EAL/D, homestay availability is broader, and capacity is less constrained. Ultimately, the choice should be guided by a realistic audit of the student’s academic readiness, language level, and family accommodation plan aligned with the operational constraints catalogued above.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How many Southern Sydney public high schools require a catchment address for international students?
Five schools apply a designated intake area to international enrolments: Blakehurst High School, Georges River College Peakhurst Campus, Georges River College Penshurst Campus, Kogarah High School, and The Jannali High School. Applicants must reside within the zoned boundary; proof of residential address is required.
2. Can an international student enrol in Year 12 at a Southern Sydney public school?
Direct Year 12 entry is not available at any Southern Sydney campus in the dataset. Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus is the only senior-only site, and its 2027 capacity is limited to Year 11 entry. The two schools with Year 11 Term 1 only rules also exclude Year 12 intake. International students typically enter at Year 10 or early Year 11 to complete the full HSC pattern.
3. Which schools in the region do not provide EAL/D support?
Cronulla High School, Engadine High School, and Sylvania High School report no EAL/D support. Port Hacking High School indicates limited EAL/D only. Applicants at these campuses must be able to cope with the mainstream curriculum without targeted English language assistance.
4. What is the outlook for Georges River College Oatley Senior Campus in 2026 and 2027?
As of 1 June 2026, Oatley Senior Campus cannot accept any new international enrolment for 2026. For 2027, capacity is restricted to Year 11 only. No Year 12 intake is planned. This advisory is subject to revision by DE International, but applicants should proceed on the basis that Oatley will be highly competitive in 2027 and unavailable in 2026.
Data Source and Methodology
This guide is compiled from the New South Wales Department of Education International Student Capacity Update, version 1 June 2026. The update lists, for each participating government school, the year levels for which the school has capacity to receive new international enrolments in 2026 and 2027, designated catchment rules, homestay availability, and EAL/D status. All figures are advisory and represent a planning snapshot. They do not constitute an offer of enrolment, enrolment confirmation, or a formal offer of placement. Actual placement is determined solely by DE International through formal assessment, which considers academic and English readiness, visa status, welfare arrangements, and school-specific capacity at the time of application. Readers should consult the official Study NSW website and the NSW Department of Education International for the most current data and application instructions.
Sources
- New South Wales Department of Education, International Student Capacity Update, 1 June 2026.
- NSW Department of Education International, How to Apply – studyinaustralia.nsw.gov.au.
- Transport for NSW, Opal and Concessions for International Students, 2026.
- NSW Department of Communities and Justice, Rent and Sales Report, June 2026 quarter.
- Internal procedure guides published on Study in Sydney: