Art of Smart ranks Brisbane schools with the best ATAR results

Several public schools have been ranked among elite private schools to be named as Brisbane’s top 50 performers based on the latest ATAR results. SEARCH THE FULL LIST

Brisbane Girls Grammar School, Loreto College, Somerville House and Indooroopilly State High School have all been named in a top list of Brisbane schools based on ATAR results.

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Several free public schools have ranked among elite private schools commanding annual fees in the tens of thousands of dollars on a list of Brisbane’s best performing schools for ATAR results, an independent analysis has revealed.

Art of Smart – a award-winning tutoring and mentoring program – has listed Brisbane’s top 50 schools in terms of Australian Tertiary Admission Rank results from 2023.

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls’ School - which charges fees of $28,000 (Year 12) - finished as the number one school, the analysis showed.

The Corinda-based school moved up two places from 2022 while Brisbane Grammar and Brisbane Girls Grammar schools rounded out the top 3.

Both grammar schools command annual fees of more than $30,000.

Three “free” public schools in Brisbane, Mansfield and The Gap state high schools emerged in the top 20, and were closely followed by Stretton State College and Indooroopilly State High School.

St Aidan’s principal Toni Riordan said the result was a pleasing acknowledgment of the diligence of the school’s 2023 cohort, dedication of our inspiring teachers and the support of parents and guardians.

“As an independent girls’ school, our focus is on the individual and creating a holistic approach to their education,” Ms Riordan said.

St Aidan's Anglican Girls' School principal Toni Riordan along with Year 12 students Gina Ganjoo, Olivia McPherson, Sienna Demisch-Gilmore and Zoe Wang. Picture: Nigel Hallett

Ms Riordan said the 2023 cohort showed incredible academic growth and upheld the school’s longstanding tradition of educational excellence.

“We are so proud of each individual student who graduated in 2023,” she said.

“We could not have achieved these results without the unparalleled quality and professionalism of our teaching staff at St Aidan’s,” she said.

It comes just months before this year’s year 12 cohort sit their final exams to determine their own ATAR scores.

Art of Smart chief executive Rowan Kunz said the strength of public school performance was a positive change.

“They can often be criticised or not seen as the strong academic choice for kids but it was positive to see how good their performance was because I think that would be surprising to a number of families,” he said.

Mr Kunz said interestingly eight out of the top 10 schools were the same from the previous year.

“There were only two new scores: Ipswich Grammar and St Joseph’s College,” he said.

Mr Kunz said it private schools took a bigger proportion this year in the list and public were the biggest movers.

“They (public schools) were the biggest movers the wrong way so 18.5 per cent made it last year and 13 per cent this year,” he said.

“But that said, their average out performance improved so even though public didn’t represent as much, the public that did performed better this year than they did last year.”