In the assembly hall of Granville Boys High School, the sound of bagpipes fills the cavernous space and rolls into the quadrangle.
Despite it still being school holidays, the freshly minted Granville Boys High Pipe Band are practising for their big gig - Anzac Day.
The Pipe Band is one of a quiver of ideas principal Noel Dixon has formulated, along with Saturday tutoring, homework clubs, barista training, a robotics team about to enter international competition as the only Australian entrant, and a barber shop, all designed to rebuild the image and impact of the school, once one of the toughest in the state.
"We've had some difficult times at Granville Boys," says Noel, "but you know, it has always been a very strong community school."
One of Noel's success stories has been the dramatic drop in schoolyard fights, by offering chicken and chips to those who break them up.
"I can't remember the last time we've had a fair dinkum punch on," says Noel.
His four-year tenure here is showing strong results.
"We've got the biggest intake of year 7's we've ever had this year," he says, "and we're making changes to make this the best school it can be."
And one of those is the pipe band.
The band's Pipe Major is woodwork teacher Adam Wishart.
"A lot of our students have come from refugee backgrounds; some of the boys in the band have come from places where our soldiers have been fighting since the early 2-thousands," says Adam.
"For most of the boys, it'll be the first time they've seen an Anzac service up close."
Muhammad El-Saddik is a drummer.
"I'm going to be really nervous when I attend," confesses Muhammad, "'cause I've never done something like this in front of a lot of people."
Imran El Mooubayed is one of the pipers, an instrument he only picked up for the first time last year.
"We'll be here at 5 o'clock, we'll get dressed and we'll go," says Imran.
"And you'll be wearing the tartan?" I inquire.
"Yep," says Imran, "the kilt."
"They need to understand the significant days that occur in Australia, and Anzac Day is the most significant day for all Australians," says Noel.
Then as dawn broke through the railway stanchions opposite Granville's Memorial Park, the Granville Boys High Pipe Band paid their homage to the fallen, their first appearance at the service, much to the delight of those attending.
"If we want the younger generation to take over from us old generation," says Alice O'Connor, service coordinator with the Cumberland RSL club, "then we've got to give them the encouragement while they're young."
Alice's eyes sweep across the faces standing to attention in the final moments of the ceremony.
"All cultures, not one culture," says Alice, "which I think's great."
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