Better Education analysis reveals Sydney’s top primary schools

Sydney’s top 100 primary schools have been named, with many government and low-fee independent schools among the state’s best. Use our interactive tool to scroll the full list.

Sydney’s top 100 primary schools can be revealed, with many government and low-fee independent schools making the list.

The Better Education analysis of 2024 academic outcomes shows some of the city’s most high-performing primary schools including Northcross Christian School, St George Christian School and Arden, charge parents affordable fees saving them at least $4000 to $5000 a year, compared to their private counterparts.

There are also many standout government schools in the list, including Matthew Pearce Public School, Artarmon Public School and Woollahra Public School.

The website is run independently and describes its aim as providing “informative and comparative school results, as a guide for parents wanting to make ­choices about schooling for their children”.

The analysis showed 41 out of the top 100 were government schools, while the other 59 listed were independent including private and Catholic schools.

John Colet School in Belrose is one of the state’s best. Picture: Richard Dobson

It comes after The Daily Telegraph revealed earlier this month that Sydney’s selective government schools including James Ruse Agricultural High School, Baulkham Hills High School, North Sydney Girls High School and North Sydney Boys High School, have achieved outstanding results in key subjects, making them some of the state’s best.

Hundreds of primary schools were exempt from the Better Education analysis after permissions to publish their results were not granted.

STAND-OUT STARS

Northcross Christian School

Charging less than $8000 a year in tuition fees while performing on par with – and above – some of the most expensive private schools in Australia, Northcross Christian School in Ryde offers better bang for buck than any other non-government school.

It has been regularly identified by the Australian Curriculum Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) as an overachiever, compared with schools where students have similar socio-economic backgrounds, and receives more than four times as many applications for Kindergarten as it has places available.

Northcross Christian School performs on par with and above some of the dearest private schools in Australia. Picture: Supplied

Matthew Pearce Public School

The highest-rated government school on the list, Matthew Pearce PS in Baulkham Hills is also one of the biggest primary schools in the state with almost 1300 kids enrolled – far above Sydney’s average of 413 students per school.

An artist’s impression of Matthew Pearce Public School at Baulkham Hills, which is the highest rated government school on the list.

Its students’ consistently high performance in the NAPLAN exams has made it highly sought after, with homes and vacant blocks of land in its catchment selling for up to $200,000 above median for the suburb. Major upgrades are underway to allow for 23 demountables to be removed.

John Colet School

Families pay up to $19,000 a year for the privilege of sending their children to John Colet for their primary education, an annual fee which includes textbooks, hot lunches, sport and swimming lessons, camps, excursions, and student insurance.

Students at John Colet School in Belrose with headmaster Julian Wilcock. Picture: Richard Dobson

The school describes itself as “multi-faith”, taking inspiration from a number of religions and philosophies, with headmaster Julian Wilcock citing the school’s “challenging” arts program as one of the reasons for its continued success – John Colet has been named among the top primary schools in the state since at least 2015.

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Originally published as Better Education analysis reveals Sydney’s top primary schools