Burnett private school fees versus test results revealed – ranked

Burnett parents fork out thousands to send their kids to the region’s private schools but are the big bucks paying off with strong academic results? See how fees and test results compare:

The Burnett region is home to dozens of state and private schools, with some families forking out thousands to ensure their little ones get a top- notch education.

With a private education remaining a huge priority for many, a key factor is the tuition and school fees and how that translates into academic support and results.

See how each Burnett private school costs each year in this full ranking and breakdown:

1. St John’s Lutheran School, Kingaroy – $2450 – $3950 per annum

St John's Lutheran School in Kingaroy.

St John’s came in at the top of the private school fee rankings, paired up with impressive academic results.

Led by principal Karyn Bjelke-Petersen, the K-9 school scored in the top 16 per cent of schools in the state, according to the Better Education 2020 rankings.

It scored an incredible 94 on the rankings to top the list of secondary schools in the Burnett region.

St John’s also scored highly in the independent website’s primary school rankings, coming in third with a score of 88.

Both the primary and secondary students also topped the list of South Burnett schools in 2019’s Naplan tests, coming in 208th statewide. No testing done in 2020 due to the pandemic.

Like most private schools, the price is reduced for each child from the same family attending the school, starting at $2450 for Prep-6 and $3950 for 7-9.

For the second child this price drops to $1475 (P-6) and $2375 (7-9), $1350 (P-6) for the third, and $975 for the fourth.

The school website indicates the school fees include all exercise books, biros, rubbers, pencils, pencil grips and colouring pencils, but further charges and levies will bump up the overall price a small amount.

While the school only offers places from Prep to Year 9, the school announced in September that it would be expanding to offer schooling right through to Year 12 in coming years.

2. St Mary’s Catholic College, Kingaroy: $1872 – $3158 per annum

St Mary's Catholic College 2020 College Captains Kyron Clegg and Elizabeth Watson.

St Mary’s fees were set in 2021 at $1872 for students in Prep-Year 6, $2964 for Years 7-8, $3076 for Years 9-10, and slightly higher at $3158 for the seniors in Years 11-12.

Fees are charged for the first three students in a family to attend the school, dropping to $716.30-1552.20 for the second child and $33.60-$716.40 for the third.

According to the school website, further ICT, general and elective subject levies apply.

Led by principal Carmel O’Brien, the school has been around since 1929 when primary classes were first held in the front room of the Sisters of Charity convent.

The catholic college ranks third on the Better Education scale in 2020.

Students also received the second highest Naplan results in the South Burnett in 2019, and ranked 221st statewide.

3. St Patrick’s Primary School, Nanango – $1420 per annum

An enrolment at St Patrick’s will set parents back $1420 for one child, $2090 for two children and $2620 for three.

According to the school website, tuition fees cover the general purpose levy and includes the supply of all stationery, books and textbooks, as well as a community and capital levy.

In 2020 St Patrick’s ranked toward the bottom of the Better Education primary school rankings, scoring 68 on the performance index which assigns schools a number from 60 to 100.

The school scored below average in the 2019 Naplan categories of reading, writing, spelling, grammar and punctuation, and numeracy.

4. St Therese’s Catholic Primary School, Monto – $1320 per annum

St Therese’s fees are set at $1320 for primary school students according to data sources from the Good Schools Guide, with additional expenses including primary and technology levies on top.

Led by principal Doiya Knapman, the school has returned some top-notch academic results, putting it in the top 10 primary schools in the Burnett region based on academic outcomes and just below Monto State High School, according to Better Education.

Year 3 students scored above average in reading, grammar and numeracy in the 2019 Naplan testing, while the Year 5 students ranked below-average in every category.

5. St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Murgon – $1240 per annum

St Joseph’s Catholic School in Murgon.

An education at St Joseph’s in Murgon will cost parents an annual tuition of $1240, which is increased to $1740 then $1960 to cover the combined enrolments of a second and third child.

An annual school levy, including photocopying, supply of art and craft materials, most textbooks, online licences, school swimming and other sporting events, will cost parents a further $240, with another $300 charged for the building and maintenance levy.

The Catholic school was ranked toward the bottom of the Burnett’s best performing primary and high schools according to Better Education, scoring just below St Patrick’s at 66.

The Year 3 and 5 students also performed below average in every category in the 2019 Naplan tests.

6. St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School, Gayndah – $980 per annum

St. Joseph's Primary School Gayndah 2020 Preps Thomas Zahl, Hudson Euler, Chelsea Kneebone, Sarah Robinson, Daniella Mendoza, Parker Hetherington and Lincoln Florance.

While St Joseph’s will only set parents back less than $1000 to send one child to the school, the Catholic primary school boasts some of the best test scores in the region, scoring a Better Education ranking of 83.

The school’s 2019 Naplan results the Year 5s scored above average in reading, writing, spelling and grammar and punctuation, while the year 3s scored below average in every category.

The price for one child starts at $980, rising to $1460 and $1685 for the second and third children, however this does not account for additional levies.

As Gayndah is one of the oldest towns in Queensland, it is no surprise to discover that St Joseph’s has a history that spans more than a decade, with the school celebrating its centenary in 1919.

The school attracts funding from many sources as it is the most rural Catholic school in the Archdiocese of Brisbane.