Revealed: What it really takes to get into Brisbane’s most in-demand schools
With fierce competition to get into Brisbane’s top schools, some parents start planning before their child is even born. So what do these elite schools look for when making offers and how much do they cost?
Education
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Brisbane parents work hard to get their children into top schools, with some starting their plans from pregnancy.
Top public schools target children living in the local catchment area, but those outside the catchment area who have demonstrated outstanding abilities could earn a merit entry.
Most private elite schools allow a child to enrol from birth, but interviews and offers are mainly given three years prior to the child’s start of schooling.
With huge numbers of prospective students vying for a position at the top schools, we take a look at what it really takes to get into Brisbane’s most in-demand schools.
Anglican Church Grammar School (Churchie)
This private boys’ school welcomes parents to apply at any time from the child’s birth.
Once an application has been submitted the boy is placed on the waiting list, with placement offers given according to application order.
The school contacts the parents from two years prior to commencement for Years 1-6 entry and three years prior for Years 7-12.
The school’s main intake years are Prep and Years 3, 5 and 7.
The school will ask if the boy has any family members who are past, current or future students and if he has been baptised, although baptism is not a requirement of enrolment.
The school will charge a non-refundable $530 for application and $1875 for enrolment confirmation.
After joining the school, tuition costs $24,820 a year for Prep-Year 6 and $29,176 for Year 7-12.
Brisbane Boys College
This private school considers a range of factors including academic ability and behavioural criteria.
It welcomes admission from Prep to Year 11 and offers an interview with the family around one year prior to commencement.
Parents will have to submit the boy’s academic records including school reports and NAPLAN results and other education or welfare related documents including psychologist, psychiatrist or medical reports, educational or IQ testing results, learning plans, court orders or parenting plans.
The school may request diagnostic testing and English language proficiency testing in some circumstances and relevant professional assessment to determine the boy’s additional educational, physical or emotional needs.
Parents have to pay a non-refundable $550 application fee and a $2250 enrolment confirmation fee.
Tuition costs between $22,180 for Prep and $29,436 for Year 7-12 a year. The school provides sibling discounts for the younger brother.
Brisbane Girls Grammar School
Parents can enrol their girl to the elite private school for a Year 5 or 7 entry at any time from birth, but offers are only made three years prior to the commencement.
The school looks at the girl’s school reports and NAPLAN results and other relevant documentation such as medical reports, educational testing and learning plans.
The school reports must demonstrate that the girl completed two years at an Australian school or an overseas school where English is used as the main language of instruction to make sure the girl fits in the academic programs as its students achieve outstanding NAPLAN results every year. The girl should also be proficient in English language for the entry level to successfully meet the curriculum demands.
The school follows a non-selective enrolment process and does not guarantee placements for those who have a sibling currently at the school or who have a sister who graduated from there.
The school charges a non-refundable $500 for applications and $2100 for enrolment confirmation.
After joining the school, tuition costs $30,054 a year for Year 7-12.
Brisbane Grammar School
The private school mainly takes boys for a Year 5 or 7 entry, but other year levels are also possible when vacancies arise.
The school will either reserve a place on the enrolment list or the waiting list when the former one is full.
The school will contact the parents to confirm their intention to proceed around three years prior to the start of schooling as further spaces typically become available from 24 months prior to the commencement.
The school will consider whether the boy’s brothers are currently enrolled at the school and if any close family members are “old boys”.
It will also look at the student’s ability to contribute and benefit from the academic and cocurricular programs.
The school will charge a non-refundable $550 for application and $2850 for enrolment confirmation. After joining the school, tuition costs $27,400 for Year 5-6 and $32,760 for Year 7-12 a year.
Brisbane State High School
This top public school operates a selective entry depending on the student’s academic, sporting achievements or artistic ability. They should also live within its local catchment area but out-of-catchment enrolments are accepted if the student constitutes a merit entry.
Students who aimed for an academic selective entry have to sit a test when they are Year 5 or 6, which includes reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, abstract reasoning and written expression, lasting for around 2.5 hours in four papers. They will be asked to pay $100 to take the test, which can only be taken once per year.
The school also requires prospective students to have high academic efforts and submit attendance and behaviour reports.
Students aiming for a visual arts selective entry must submit 10 original works that demonstrate their passion and creativity and take part in a skills workshop.
Students hoping for the music selective entry must achieve at least AMEB Grade 6 for violin, Grade 5 for flute and Grade 4 for other orchestral instruments. Piano and guitar are not considered as instruments for selection.
Students aiming for the sports entry must submit evidence for their school or club sporting representative achievements, previous three semesters’ school reports and Year 5 NAPLAN report.
Selective entry costs a non-refundable $420 fee, but the fee for the academic test can be deducted if the student passes. Applications close typically from March to June each year.
The Courier-Mail previously revealed that the merit quota at the school would be plunged from the current 50 per cent to 35 per cent in 2025 term 1.
Out-of-catchment students who have a sibling as a current student also cannot be automatically enrolled.
Hillbrook Anglican School
The coeducational private school starts its enrolment process when the child is in Year 4 but parents can add their child to the waitlist beforehand.
The school will conduct an interview to make sure the family is prepared for the rigorous academic curriculum, outdoor education and school life and are able to provide outside school support for the educational outcome.
The school will offer positions afterwards, also taking into consideration whether the child has any siblings currently enrolled or who will enrol there, whether he or she is a staff member’s child, gender balance and application order.
Parents must pay a $250 non-refundable application fee and a $4000 enrolment confirmation fee. The school fee for 2024 is $17,070 a year.
Indooroopilly State High School
This public school targets children living in the catchment area and makes contact in the year prior to commencement for those who submitted an application.
The school also allows students outside the catchment area to apply and considers them under a “fair process”.
Parents must submit the two most recent school reports with the application. Each child will participate in an individual enrolment interview with a parent or a guardian.
Ipswich Grammar School
The private school requests parents to submit the boy’s last two school reports and his last NAPLAN results. The school will then arrange an interview for the family.
It costs $150 to make an admission application and $750 to confirm the enrolment.
The tuition costs from $2115 in Prep to $4989 in Year 11 for one of the four terms and $6652 over three terms this year. But the school organises discounts for families with more than one boy attending.
Kelvin Grove State College
This public school targets students in the catchment area and only considers out-of-catchment applicants via academic, art, dance, music and sports excellence programs.
Students aiming for the academic achievers excellence program must take an entrance exam held at the college but the school will also consider applicants who submit the previous academic information including achievement results, NAPLAN and participation in previous academic gifted and talented programs.
Students going for the art excellence program must submit artwork, a handwritten evaluation of how and why it was made and a handwritten personal statement why they would like to be considered for the program.
Students hoping for the dance excellence program must include the genre of dance they learnt, current teacher or studio, level of expertise, exam results, number of dance classes per week, number of years studied and a personal statement about why they would like to be in the program.
Students aiming for the music excellence program are expected to read noted music and able to play a musical instrument. Students must audition on an own choice piece to demonstrate the level of technical and stylistic development as well as a college prepared piece.
Students aiming for the sports excellence program must submit their experience in football, volleyball, tennis or golf and may need to complete a trial.
All students, including those wishing to enrol in the excellence program, must submit their latest school reports and Year 5 NAPLAN documents.
The school’s out-of-catchment capacity is up to 250 students. Those students must pay a $220 non-refundable application fee.
Mansfield State High School
This public school accepts applications from children living in the local catchment area and encourages out-of-catchment students to apply for its excellence programs of French, technology and music.
Local catchment students will be enrolled after attending the school’s open day, submitting an application and attending a scheduled group conference with the executive principal.
All applicants must submit their last two school reports and Year 5 NAPLAN results.
The school’s French immersion excellence program does not require children to have previous knowledge of the language as the school provides an intensive course. Short-listed candidates will attend an interview with the Head of Languages.
For students who would like to join the music excellence program, they must attend an audition and complete a written exam to gain entry.
The school offers 86 students for the French and technology excellence programs and limited spaces for the music program.
Out of catchment applicants must submit a $250 non-refundable processing fee.
Enrolment applications typically open within a year prior to commencement for Year 7 entry, and excellence programs close around May.
Marist College Ashgrove
This private school allows parents to express their interest for their boy to enrol from birth. The school will contact them in May when their son is in Year 3 for a Year 5 entry and in February when their son is in Year 4 for a Year 7 entry.
They will have to elaborate on the reasons why they want their son to join the college and attend an interview with the head of college.
The school prioritises baptised Catholic students that actively participate in church life, attended Catholic school and can show regular attendance and involvement in the Catholic Church. Parents should also submit the boy’s baptism certificate if applicable.
The school also specially considers students who wish to board and looks at whether the boy has a positive involvement in primary school.
Parents must submit a non-refundable $150 application fee and $1000 acceptance fee. Tuition fee costs between $11,020 for Year 5-6 and $15,610 for Year 11-12 a year. The school provides discounts for biological siblings up to 50 per cent off for more than four students.
Ormiston College
This coeducational private school accepts applications from a child’s birth but will confirm with the parents if they would like to proceed around two years before the commencement date.
The majority of students enter either from Prep, Year 5 or 7.
Parents must submit their child’s Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN test results and last three years’ school reports. All students and their parents must attend an interview with the headmaster or his representative.
The school prioritises Christian students’ applications and offers the position in an order to a current staff child, current student’s sibling, the school’s Early Learning Centre current attendee and an alumni’s child.
Parents will pay a non-refundable $295 application fee, a $520 confirmation fee and a $630 tax-deductible building fund donation.
Tuition Costs $11,592 from Prep-Year 4, $13,157.6 from Year 5-6 and $15,786 from Year 7-12 a year.
Somerville House
Parents can register their interest in the elite private girls school at any time and must complete an enrolment application around three years prior to the expected start date.
The school’s key intake levels are Pre-Prep, Prep, Year 3, 5 and 7.
Parents must submit their girl’s Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 NAPLAN test results and the previous year’s school report alongside the application. Both parents and the girl will attend an interview with the school.
Parents will must pay a $350 non-refundable registration fee, a $1200 enrolment fee and a $3000 confirmation fee.
Tuition fees range from $21,280 for Pre-Prep to $28,500 for Year 12 per year. The school offers discounts to families who have an older sibling as a current student.
St Joseph’s College, Gregory Terrace
This private school welcomes applications from a boy’s birth and will contact his parents two years prior to commencement to collect further documents for a Year 5 entry and three years earlier for Year 7.
Consideration is given to those baptised or yet to be baptised Catholic students, and the school prioritises families who actively participate in church life, including boys who attend a Catholic school.
It also takes into consideration if prospective students have immediate family members who are past students or active with the college.
The school offers two merit entry pathways, with one based on an academic test conducted at the college and another based on the boy’s performance in sports or cultural activities.
The examination for academic merit entry is managed under Australian Council for Educational Research for Year 6 children. It takes place in February each year on campus or at an ACER venue. Parents must to complete additional paperwork and an interview with the principal.
The sports entry includes an interview with the Director of Sports for the school to gain a better understanding of the boy and his family and demonstrate a strong partnership between both sides, while the cultural entry will require an audition. It will be followed by a formal enrolment interview with the principal if necessary.
Parents must pay a non-refundable $275 application fee and $2275 enrolment confirmation fee.
Tuition costs $18,988 for Year 5-6 and $20,812 for Year 7-12 per year. The school provides a sibling discount of up to 75 per cent.
St Margaret’s Anglican Girls School
This private school does not make offers based on previous academic reports or provide any test for the girl to sit, but parents still have to submit her most recent school report and NAPLAN results.
Parents will have to note down their occupation and highest academic qualifications in the admission application. The girl and her parents will attend an interview with the school within three years prior to her nominated intake year.
The school’s offers are made based on the girl’s educational history, her performance in academic competitions, whether any sibling is already enrolled, her sporting interests and accomplishments, her co-curricular interests and abilities and her reasons for applying.
The school also prioritises staff member’s girls, Anglican Clergy members’ children and alumni’s daughters.
It costs $250 for an admission application and $1250 for enrolment confirmation.
Tuition fee ranges from $13,720 for Pre-Prep to $28,601 for Year 12 a year. The school provides sibling discounts and bursaries for Anglican clergy members’ daughters.
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