ATAR, NAPLAN, fees: How Queensland’s top private schools stack up

Exclusive analysis of the latest NAPLAN and ATAR results against private school fees has revealed where parents are getting bang for their buck. CHECK OUT THE LIST

Year 8 students Isla Cowls, Zoe Pryor, Sophie Lee and Amber Zhao at Brisbane Girls Grammar School in Spring Hill. Picture Lachie Millard

They’re the elite schools charging fees that parents might need a second mortgage to afford, but are Queensland’s most expensive schools worth the cost?

An exclusive Courier-Mail analysis of the latest NAPLAN and ATAR results compared with individual school fees has revealed where parents are getting bang for their buck.

Based on 2022 ATAR results, Brisbane Grammar School, Brisbane Girls Grammar School, St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School and St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School each had median scores of more than 94.

All four schools in inner Brisbane also had high averages across Year 9 NAPLAN testing and each charge annual fees in excess of $24,000.

In comparison, some of the private schools with similar academic results but charging less than $20,000 include Matthew Flinders Anglican College at Buderim, Somerset College at Mudgeeraba, Fairholme College at Toowoomba and St Andrew’s Anglican College at Noosa.

Sporting prowess is another key factor for some parents to weigh up.

Nudgee College is considered the traditional powerhouse for GPS rugby union, Brisbane Boys’ College has the most rowing titles while The Southport School has the most premierships in cricket.

Australian Catholic University’s Dr Paul Kidson said parents chose private schools for a range of reasons. Picture: Tim Hunter.

Australian Catholic University’s School of Education senior lecturer Dr Paul Kidson said parents were drawn to private schools for a diverse range of reasons.

Dr Kidson said academic importance was key for some but the majority were happy for their children to be part of a “positive learning environment”.

“NAPLAN and ATAR for some that is a really important indicator but by and large families are attracted to the comprehensive package. Academics is part of but not the totality of the attraction,” Dr Kidson said.

“Some will have that ongoing family association that goes back generations and is really powerful, some it will be for religious expression, and others it’s the various co-curricular experiences, be it rowing or rugby union.”

Principal Jacinda Euler with Year 8 students Zoe Pryor, Sophie Lee, Isla Cowls and Amber Zhao at Brisbane Girls Grammar School in Spring Hill. Picture Lachie Millard

Brisbane Girls Grammar School principal Jacinda Euler said choosing where to send a child to school was one of the most important decisions for any family to make.

Ms Euler said Girls Grammar’s consistently strong ATAR and NAPLAN results directly and “paradoxically” related to a focus on developing students’ love of learning and a deep interest in subjects.

“Students are encouraged to top into that important intrinsic motivation to simply do their best,” Ms Euler said.

“While we are always proud of the achievements of our students, our focus is on teaching and learning, and we know that if we get this right, the results will usually follow as a natural by-product.”

Matthew Flinders Anglican College principal Stuart Meade said academic performance was only part of the picture and that families appreciated that the school fostered a “sense of belonging”.

Matthew Flinders Anglican College principal Stuart Meade.

Mr Meade said parents appreciated the college’s “rigorous academic foundation and diverse co-curricular opportunities” and its core values of compassion, courage, integrity and respect.

“Our parents and families also respect that as we strive to ensure students achieve their personal best academically, creativity and innovation are ‘front and centre’ in all learning opportunities,” Mr Meade said.

“It is vital that as a community we develop young people with strong character who display curiosity, creativity and entrepreneurial dispositions.”

Dr Kidson encouraged parents to visit the school in person to get a more broad feeling of the school and its offerings.

“Go and visiting the school will always be better than relying on the website,” he said.

“Families and students currently at the school is definitely a good place to start to get an honest appraisal of the good and the bad.”