August 19, 2026 — 7:30pm

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As the clock ticked toward noon, Akshaya Valluri’s Year 6 classroom began counting down. For 16,473 children across the state, it was time to find out if they had secured a spot in a public selective school. Only one in four would make the cut.

“I didn’t know how scared I would be,” said 11-year-old Akshaya. A surprise early mark from her father revealed the answer – Akshaya had made it into Penrith High School.

This year, Penrith was the second-most popular choice among hopeful applicants to the state’s selective…

Read the full article at SMH.COM.AU