NAPLAN: Top-performing public primary schools in Queensland

Exclusive analysis of more than 800 NAPLAN results from the state’s largest and most popular primary schools has unveiled the best “free” public schools.

Sunnybank Hills State School Year 6 students Karen Zhong, Enming Pan, Beau Rigby, Kyra Henderson, Armaan Benning and Marcus Chan in February this year. Picture Lachie Millard

South Brisbane has been revealed as the best place to find a star-performing NAPLAN primary school, with six of the state’s best inside a 25km radius.

An exclusive Courier-Mail analysis of more than 800 NAPLAN results from the state’s largest and most popular primary schools has unveiled the best “free” public schools.

Sunnybank Hills State School took out the top spot with an overall score of 578.2 as the best performer in the state, not only for public schools.

It was ahead of private and independent counterparts including the likes of both Brisbane grammar schools, Somerset College and St Peters Lutheran College each charging tens of thousands of dollars annually.

Of the top 10 state schools, six were from a 25km pocket in South Brisbane including Wishart State School, Indooroopilly State School, MacGregor State School, Ironside State School and Robertson State School.

Rainworth, Eagle Junction, Ashgrove and McDowall state schools made up the rest of the top 10 in a clean sweep for Brisbane.

Rainworth State School Year 6 student Bonnie Berkman with Elliot Campbell and Jayden Cooper. Picture: Richard Walker

Among the star performers was Tanduringie State School, a tiny school of 21 near Blackbutt with 21 students, which finished inside the top 20.

Some of the top state primary schools from outside of Brisbane included Applethorpe, Glamorgan Vale, Carvonica and Prospect Creek state schools.

The rankings were calculated based on the average score for all five NAPLAN tests (reading, writing, numeracy, spelling and grammar) across Year 5.

Schools with less than 20 students, special schools and schools which did not report results to MySchool were excluded.