The Conservatorium High School (colloquially known as Con High) is a public government-funded co-educational selective and secondary day school with speciality in musical education. It is on the western edge of the Royal Botanic Gardens, off Macquarie Street, in the CBD of Sydney, Australia. The School is the secondary arm of the tertiary Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and is the only specialist music high school in the state of New South Wales. Overview The School accepts students from Year 7 to Year 12, providing opportunities for musically gifted young people to combine musical and academic studies. The school ranks highly in the state for academic achievement; in 2014, the school was placed 9th, in 2016, 10th and in 2019 2nd in the state for Higher School Certificate results. The school counts among its alumni some of Australia's most acclaimed performers, teachers, composers, and musicians who have made their mark in all facets of the music profession. History The school was established at the behest of Henri Verbrugghen, foundation director of the NSW State Conservatorium of Music, and enrolled its first students in 1918. The inaugural principal, Peter Steele, was seconded from Sydney Boys High School and taught in both the secondary and tertiary programs of the Conservatorium. Campus Adjoining the Botanic Gardens and overlooking Farm Cove, the Conservatorium of Music is one of Sydney's best-known heritage sites. The heart of the Conservatorium is the turreted sandstone structure that was designed by the convict architect Francis Greenway to serve as vice-regal stables for Government House, which is located across the gardens to the north. Extensive redevelopment in the late 1990s transformed the Con into a teaching, research and music performance complex with expanded accommodation for around 160 Conservatorium High School students. Facilities In addition to standard school classrooms, school offices and staff room, the school provides access to 53 teaching studios, 63 practice rooms, 140 pianos, 15 seminar and ensemble rooms, choral and instrumental rehearsal rooms, three recital/ lecture halls, and two major concert halls. Specialist facilities of the school include: Joseph Post Auditorium with recording facilities Music computer laboratory Keyboard laboratory Recording studio & electronic music production suite General computer laboratory Science laboratory Visual arts and design and technology studio Student Independent Learning Centre (SILC) The school has access to other Conservatorium of Music venues such as: Recital halls Practice and ensemble rooms The Music Workshop Verbrugghen Hall Library Students