NAPLAN results: The Qld public schools outperforming private counterparts

Queensland public schools outsmarted some of the state’s top private schools, according to new analysis.

A number of public schools across Queensland are outperforming their private counterparts when it comes to NAPLAN results.

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Queensland public schools outsmarted some of the state’s top private schools, according to new analysis revealing the nation’s best performing schools.

The Brisbane School of Distance Education and Sunnybank Hills State School outperformed Brisbane Grammar School, Citipointe Christian College and St Peters Lutheran College.

Not only did Queensland state schools beat local rivals, they also outsmarted a selection of esteemed Sydney and Melbourne private schools.

The exclusive data crunching reveals how the states and territories compare in the top 100 primary schools and top 100 secondary schools, based on 2023 average NAPLAN scores.

NSW is the smartest state claiming 50 out of the top 100 primary schools, and 48 in the secondary school rankings.

Victoria was the second best performer, with 36 primary schools and 31 secondary schools making the cut.

Queensland came in third with six primary schools and 12 secondary schools in their respective top 100 lists, beating Western Australia’s six primary schools and eight high schools, as well as South Australia’s two primary and one secondary schools.

No school from Tasmania, Northern Territory, or the ACT made either league table.

In the national secondary school rankings, 23 of the top 25 schools are public institutions.

In contrast, the top 25 primary schools across the country are a mix of public and private.

For high schools, the Queensland Academy for Science Mathematics and Technology at Toowong in Brisbane was the Sunshine State’s highest representative, coming in at 15th with a NAPLAN average of 694.2.

While this is a public school, it should be noted that the academy uses a selective entry applications process, and charges an annual fee of more than $2500 because it uses the specialised International Baccalaureate Diploma model.

Nonetheless, QASMT ranked higher than Sydney Grammar School, which charges almost $46,000 per year in fees, as well as Abbotsleigh in Sydney’s Wahroonga, which costs more than $36,000 annually.

Queensland’s next highest secondary school was Brisbane Girls Grammar School ranked 35, with a 648.6 NAPLAN average, and Brisbane Grammar School ranked 36 with a 647.2.

Brisbane State High School was not far behind in 40th with a 642.8 NAPLAN average, closely followed by Somerville House ranked 42 with a 640.4 result.

They beat the likes of Tangara School for Girls in Sydney’s Cherrybrook and St Andrews Christian College in Wantirna South in Melbourne, which both charge over $11,500 annually.

Public institution Glenunga International High School, which has a presence in both Queensland and South Australia, ranked 48 with a 638 NAPLAN average in 2023.

Somerville House Year 12 students (left to right) Rosie Reilly, Anna Bradford, Olivia Chappell, Ella McCarthy, Sarah Patino, Harper Bilinski. Photo: Fotofox Images.

They were followed by five South East Queensland private schools.

St Aidan’s Anglican Girls School in Corinda was ranked 50, All Hallows’ School came in at 54, Somerset College on the Gold Coast was 57th, St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly was ranked 78, and in 89th was Cannon Hill Anglican College.

Whitsunday Anglican School rounded out Queensland’s representatives at 95th.

In the nation’s top primary school rankings, Queensland’s highest representative was the

government-run Brisbane School of Distance Education, based at Coorparoo, which ranked 40 with a 2023 NAPLAN average of 574.6.

It beat the likes of Pymble Ladies’ College and John Colet School in Sydney, as well as St Andrew’s School in Adelaide – all of which charge more than $16,000 per year.

Sunnybank Hills State School also performed well, ranking 57 with a 568.4 NAPLAN average, and also beating several Sydney private schools.

Elsewhere in the primary rankings, Citipointe Christian College in Carindale came in 73rd, Upper Brookfield State School ranked 87, coming in at 94th was St Peters Lutheran College in Indooroopilly, while Brisbane Grammar School rounded it out in 96th.

Sunnybank Hills State School, one of Queensland’s best performing primary schools, has more than 1700 students from a rich variety of cultural backgrounds.
Principal Geoff Mill said he felt very privileged to lead such a dedicated team.

Sunnybank Hills State School Year 5 students Ricky Xu, Jina Jung, Ethen Qiang, Sophia Minge, Hayden Davies and Chelsea Reid. Picture: Nigel Hallett

“Sunnybank Hills has a consistent approach to teaching and learning … this begins with a clear focus on literacy and numeracy outcomes in Prep,” he said.

“Instruction is differentiated, so children feel supported and successful. This results in a high level of lesson engagement that creates a positive feel with a sense of fun built in.

“Feedback is another important element of our school’s culture. This is frequently given to all students and often relates to their personal learning goals.”

Meanwhile, Brisbane private school Somerville House was also a strong performer for the Sunshine State among the nation’s best secondary schools.

Principal Dr Sandra Hastie said the changes last year to sit NAPLAN earlier in the year and allow teachers to get their students’ results sooner, had been positive.

“Receiving results earlier provides us with the opportunity to analyse data and identify areas for growth much sooner in the academic year,” she said.

Dr Hastie said the school’s strong NAPLAN results were a testament to staff and students’ hard work.

“Our teachers understand the type of learning environment girls require and the importance of strong and supportive teacher student relationships,” she said.

“We focus on enhancing student’s test-taking skills and strategies, ensuring they approach not just NAPLAN, but all assessment tasks with confidence.

“We build on the skills required to negotiate NAPLAN testing.

“We do not use a specific ‘bolt on’ approach.”