Top SA public schools outperforming many big private schools, statistics show

Most government schools aren’t exactly rolling in cash, but the best of them are posting academic results that should put some better-funded private schools in the shade. Explore the data.

Top public schools in South Australia are outperforming many big private schools, despite having far less money to spend on their students, national data shows.

Glenunga International High School was the standout leader in NAPLAN year 9 results, while Adelaide, Marryatville, Brighton, Unley and The Heights also delivered high average scores.

Analysis of the 25 biggest SA schools in each of the government, Catholic and independent sectors shows a wide range of outcomes, especially between public schools.

The data, from the federal MySchool website, shows among the 75 schools, Glenunga students had the highest average score, 635, across the year 9 NAPLAN tests in 2019 – the most recent year for which school results and financial data are available.

Glenunga’s revenue was $14,177 per student – including $11,916 from taxpayers – thousands of dollars less than most private schools.

The Heights students’ year 9 NAPLAN average was 593.4, which was higher than 32 of 50 private schools analysed.

English teacher Tegan Gilson with year 9 students Angelpreet and Jiya at The Heights School in Modbury Heights. Picture: Naomi Jellicoe

The Heights, at Modbury Heights, has recorded steady improvement over the past few years and its results were also significantly above average for writing, spelling and grammar in MySchool’s comparison with students of similar background across Australia.

English teacher Tegan Gilson attributed the success to passionate staff and students who “know there is a purpose to what we’re asking them to do”.

“We try to be really creative in our approach,” Ms Gilson said.

She said the school was moving to introduce Shakespeare earlier to challenge students and brought in slam poet Luka Lesson for live performances.

Texts were presented in various ways and students could transform them to another media platform or style where they’re “comfortable and can shine”, she said.

The Heights had $13,709 per student in revenue, all bar $657 of which was from taxpayers.

The MySchool data shows the 25 Catholic schools were working with an average $19,777 per student, made up of $12,969 from taxpayers plus fees and other contributions from families, fundraising and investments.

Independents had an average $22,957 per student, including $9987 from taxpayers, with all the data being from 2019, the most recently reported year.

The data showed SA Education Department funding was being directed toward schools in lower socio-economic areas or with high levels of disadvantaged students – with many of the highest-funded public schools recording the lowest NAPLAN scores.

NAPLAN is not intended as a comprehensive assessment of school performance but is used as an indicator and diagnostic tool for teachers.

The state government this week cited improving year 3 NAPLAN results as proof of improving literacy in early childhood, linked to phonics teaching and screening checks.

Funding data is complicated by supplementary payments for disadvantaged students and deductions at non-government schools from baseline taxpayer contributions. The deductions are done according to parents’ capacity to contribute through fees.

Nonetheless, MySchool says it publishes financial data “to provide parents, teachers and governments with a clear picture of the resources provided to schools to support the education of their students”.

An SA Education Department spokesman said looking at the raw financial data and NAPLAN scores was not “useful”.

“Schools with higher per-student funding typically have more students with disability and/or some other identified educational disadvantage,” he said.

“The verified, statistically robust data shows that SA’s public education system is on a sustained upward trajectory.”