Mountains students with a preference for using the right side of their brain will have a new place to hone their skills with the decision to turn a nearby high school into a specialist creative and performing arts hub.

NSW Premier Nathan Rees announced recently that Nepean and Northmead high schools would join the State’s six other arts nurseries.

Nepean principal Tony Baldacchino said with an expected initial intake of about 20 Year 7 students in 2010, it was a landmark moment for the school.

“It’s an exciting change and also a challenging change for the school and the school community, and the wider community,” he said. “It’s providing for a need in the thriving areas of music, dance, drama and visual arts activities.”

He expects that, in time, the Mountains could become an important recruiting ground for the school.

“I think we will (attract Mountains students) but there are fantastic established creative and performing arts programs in the high schools in the Mountains. So they’re providing the opportunities there for them as well, but . . . obviously the Mountains will be a focus for us as well as the Penrith region.”

Nepean High School has a long history of providing extensive performing arts and extracurricular activities for students and will now look to build stronger links with primary schools and local performing arts centres.

When making the announcement, Premier Rees said Nepean was an ideal choice.

“When I became premier I committed to fostering a bright and dynamic future for western Sydney as a hub of culture and the arts in NSW,” Mr Rees said.

“The NSW Government will invest in these schools to provide creative opportunities for students who want to train and pursue a career in the arts.

“These schools were an obvious choice given their strong history in delivering a successful performing arts curriculum.”

The school will continue to accept at least 50 per cent of students from its local catchment area regardless of creative and performing arts talent while those from beyond the region will face a selection process.

Mr Baldacchino said any increase in the school’s arts program would not be at the expense of academic studies.