2021 NAPLAN results by region: How does your local area stack up?

2021’s NAPLAN scores are out, revealing which parts of the state are achieving the greatest academic success. Here is your guide to the results by region.

2021’s NAPLAN scores are out, revealing which NSW schools have improved since 2019 and risen up the rankings – and which parts of the state are achieving the greatest academic success.

Many of the top schools are based in Sydney’s north shore and eastern suburbs, however regional schools including in the central west and Far North Coast have recorded improved scores.

Here is your brief guide to the NAPLAN results by region. Follow the links for comprehensive results in each area.

Sydney’s north

On Sydney’s northern beaches, one primary school cracked the top 100 performers – the John Colet School at Belrose with an average score of 553.8. Six secondary schools made the list, including Northern Beaches Secondary College’s Manly Selective Campus in North Curl Curl at number nine.

Across the north shore two high schools and four primary schools ranked among the state’s top 10 performers. North Sydney Girls and North Sydney Boys high schools scored an average of 699.1 and 691.3 respectively. Masada College was the most improved high school, up 5.5 per cent.

Masada College, a Jewish coeducational independent school in St Ives. Picture: Annika Enderborg

Hornsby’s Abbotsleigh Junior School is ranked second for primary schools in NSW with an average score of 562.4. Hornsby Girls High School is the area’s top performing high school.

In the Hills Shire, Matthew Pearce Public School was ranked sixth in the state’s primary schools, while Baulkham Hills High School was ranked sixth in the secondary school years.

Sydney’s east

The eastern suburbs topped the state’s primary school list, with Sydney Grammar dominating the results in both years three and five. As for secondary schools, the selective Sydney Girls and Boys highs came in at third and seventh in the state respectively.

Strathfield’s Meriden School was the inner west’s best primary and second best secondary school, averaging 540.6 in years three and five and 637.4 in years seven and nine. The area’s top five high schools all scored above 600 points.

Sydney’s west

In the Blacktown area Quakers Hill Primary School led the year five results and scored well above the Australian average across all categories. Caddies Creek Public School was the top performer in year three.

The northern Parramatta suburb of Carlingford has emerged as one of NSW’s smartest suburbs, with three public schools pipping the prestigious The King’s School – all of which made it into the top 100 in the state.

Twins Taylah Dalgliesh and Suzie Dalgliesh attended Caddies Creek Public School in 2020. Their school has once again performed highly. Picture: John Appleyard

Central Coast

Gosford High School, a selective secondary school, was the Central Coast’s best, achieving a Year 7 average of 642 and Year 9 average score of 668.4. It came 21st in the state.

Central Coast Grammar School in Erina Heights also made the top 100 NSW schools in all years, placing 51st in the primary schools with an average score of 522.8 and 60th in the high schools with an average score of 610.4.

Selective Gosford High School was no. 21 in NSW’s highest NAPLAN performers. Picture: AAP IMAGE / Troy Snook

Northern NSW

In Lismore in the Northern Rivers, students at Summerland Christian College excelled across the board, scoring the highest average scores for years five, seven and nine. Their year three average of 454.8 out totalled Lismore Public School by 105.6 points.

Further south in Grafton, high schools performed well across the board for years seven and nine with average scores all above 500. St Mary’s Primary School achieved the best average score for both years three and five.

In Coffs Harbour, St Augustine’s Primary School and Coffs Harbour Christian Community School were the best performers in the younger years, while Bishop Druitt College took top marks among high schools, over 600 points in Year 9 reading and numeracy.

Mid North high schools failed to land a place in the top 100 schools across the state, but Port Macquarie schools which improved on their 2019 results include Heritage Christian School and Hastings Secondary College in Westport.

Regional NSW

In the central west of the state, half of Dubbo’s students are falling below the national average. However, most local schools have seen an average jump of at least one band per student, including at Dubbo North Public School which moved from a band three average in 2019 to band five last year in both reading and numeracy.

In the Southern Highlands the best performing primary and secondary schools were Gib Gate and Frensham in Mittagong, which were both ranked in the top 100 schools in NSW – averaging 516.1 and 597.3 respectively. Meanwhile, St Paul’s International School’s average fell 25 points from the 2019 results.