Further Opportunities
Camps and Excursions
Students are provided the opportunity to expand their educational experience, and extend their social and practical skills through a range of camps and excursions.
Year 7
A two-night, three day camp delivered at the beginning for Term 1 supports students’ transition to secondary school and provides an important and early opportunity for the student cohort to get to know each other and form connections.
World Challenge
Students have the opportunity to travel to less developed parts of the world, participate in conservation and social projects and explore new and exciting areas as part of the World Challenge cultural immersion program.
Participating students build their capability, enhance their leadership ability, extend themselves, embrace diversity and start to find their place in the world as a global citizen.
Chess
The Chess Program gives students the chance to develop their chess skills with other like-minded students. Casual chess happens every day in the Library during lunch. We also offer an "Over the Board Tournament" every term, with prizes for high scoring Years 7/8, 9/10 and 11/12 students. Alongside this there is a weekly lunchtime online blitz tournament which helps to sharpen students' chess skills. There is also a Junior Chess Coaching group that runs every week for any students looking to improve.
We take students to several external tournaments throughout the year. These events are lnterschool events and Zonal Qualifiers for State Finals, where students represent Ballarat High School. This is a great opportunity to gain tournament experience for younger players. Students who qualify can represent Ballarat High School in the Chess State Finals.
Study Tours
Germany – Three-weeks
An exchange with our sister school in Singen where participating German language students travel to Germany, Switzerland and Austria. During their stay students attend our sister school while also experiencing the German culture. Students visit the Black Forest, Bavaria (Disney Castle), the Swiss Alps as well as other tourist attractions. The following year participating students host a return visit from the students of our sister school.
Practical skills are developed as they apply their knowledge of German language to navigate everyday situations, such as buying train tickets, asking for directions, ordering meals and engaging in conversation.
Japan – Three-weeks
Through our school’s Japanese program we enjoy a connection, and an exchange program with our sister school, Meisei High School, located on the island of Hokkaido.
Every second year a group of Year 10 students and teachers visit Hokkaido where they attend Meisei, stay with host families and see the sights of Japan, including Tokyo, with a very popular trip to Disneyland. The following year students act as hosts to the Meisei students when it is their turn to visit Ballarat, an experience that not only develops students’ language skills, but fosters long-lasting connection and friendships.
Energy Breakthrough
Energy Breakthrough is an annual STEM focussed challenge where schools from across Australia congregate in Maryborough to challenge each other to a race, with a vehicle which students have designed and built from scratch.
Ballarat High School’s Rat Pack each year includes students from every year level who construct a vehicle to compete in the human powered division. Our students collaborate and extend themselves to develop their creations during every spare lunch-break and after-school session, before ultimately competing on race day in front of a crowd of 30,000.
Watch this video from the 2024 event, featuring our alumni and current students.
