NEPEAN High has taken centre stage with the announcement it will become a specialist arts high school and the school's not wasting any time.
By Friday afternoon a receptionist answered the school's phone with a friendly ``Nepean Creative and Performing Arts High School''.
Principal Tony Baldacchino was at Northmead High School on Friday morning when Premier Nathan Rees announced the two schools had been selected to become specialist creative and performing arts high schools.
``[It's] very exciting news for us,'' said Mr Baldacchino who felt it presented ``terrific opportunities for the school''.
While students will still undertake subjects prescribed by the Board of Studies, Mr Baldacchino said the school would have specialist areas in dance, drama, music and possibly visual arts.
``It's still very early days.''
Blue Mountains school education director John McGregor said as well as catering for local students, the school would also take students with performing arts skills from outside the area.
``We're hoping that we will begin the process immediately,'' Mr McGregor told the Star on Friday, with the possibility of starting next year with year 7 students.
``We will be doing a lot of work between now and the end of the year.''
Mr McGregor said he believed Nepean High School was selected because of easy access to the train station, the fact it was a fairly large school, its links with various creative and performing arts groups and its good leadership under Mr Baldacchino.
``There are endless possibilities,'' Mr McGregor said.
``I just think it's really exciting for the area.''
Mr McGregor said the change would mean hearing-impaired students, part of the school's signing choir, would be able to be involved in other creative and performing arts opportunities.
There are six creative and performing arts schools in the state.
Education and Training Minister Verity Firth said Nepean High School had a ``long history of teaching performing arts and associated extracurricular activities that involve nearby primary schools''.
She said the scope of additional capital works needed to make the transition would be negotiated.
MP for Penrith Karyn Paluzzano said she was excited about the Government's commitment.
``Along with the Penrith Regional Gallery, Joan Sutherland Performing Arts Centre and local families and students, I have been lobbying for this for a long time,'' Ms Paluzzano said.
Penrith City Mayor Jim Aitken said he was ``absolutely thrilled'' with the decision which would ``broaden the arts out to the wider community''.
Penrith Performing & Visual Arts chief executive officer John Kirkman said the initiative underlined the ``importance of secondary school education in the nurturing and development of forthcoming generations of Australian performers''.
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