Established in 1883 and operated by the New South Wales Department of Education, as a school within the Port Jackson Education Area of the Sydney Region, the school has approximately 1,200 students from Year 7 to Year 12 — a number greater than most, if not all, other selective state schools — and is situated adjacent to its "sister school", Sydney Girls' High School. The school is a member of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (AAGPS).