Kambala, SCEGGS Darlinghurst, Cranbrook: Principals of NSW’s pricey private schools named
One of the big wig bosses behind NSW’s most cashed up private schools was paid $100,000 more than the PM. Now it can be revealed how these principals nabbed their lucrative jobs.
Education
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It’s said that education is priceless, but the burgeoning fees for NSW independent schools have some parents doubting that wisdom.
The cost of education is now nearly half a million dollars for NSW city parents sending their children to independent schools. Futurity Investment Group’s Planning for Education Index revealed the total cost of educating a child for 13 years is $448,034 in NSW metropolitan areas.
Although still expensive, the cost of independent school education in regional NSW is almost a quarter of the price at $133,921 over 13 years.
So who is in charge of the most expensive schools in NSW and their multimillion-dollar incomes?
Meet the principals running the state’s priciest independent schools.
SYDNEY
Kambala School, Rose Bay
It’s not surprising a school that looks like a castle would pay its principal like royalty, but the former headmistress of Kambala was reportedly paid $100,000 more than the Prime Minister.
During her three-year tenure as Headmistress from 2014-2017, Debra Kelliher was paid an annual salary of $650,000. She revealed the staggering sum in a defamation lawsuit against the school after less-than-complimentary emails were circulated days after she resigned. The lawsuit was settled out of court, but the fact a Sydney headmistress was being paid a lot more than our country’s leader has not been forgotten.
Kambala is a school of 969 students which costs $39,000 a year in tuition fees, with an additional $26,500 for boarding students. In total, the school netted more than $33 million in fees last year and more than $4.1 in other income.
Although Shane Hogan took over as principal from Ms Kellier for an undisclosed annual salary in 2017, he has recently vacated the position. Amanda Bell became Interim Principal of Kambala in July after being the head of The Women’s College at the University of Sydney.
Ms Bell was awarded a Member of the Order of Australia for her service to education, particularly for women.
Kambala has been at the centre of a conversation around consent education after former student Chanel Contos lead a revolution of sexual assault awareness in schools. Other notable alumni include fashion icon Margaret Zhang and highly regarded mechatronic engineer Dr Airlie Chapman.
SCEGGS Darlinghurst
All-girls school SCEGGS Darlinghurst is the most expensive school in the state, with a yearly tuition cost of $41,090.
With 931 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, the school raked in over $32 million in tuition fees last year. Additionally, the annual reports show SCEGGS was given more than a million dollars in donations in 2020.
The prestigious Sydney school has been led by headmistress Jenny Allum since she took up the position 25 years ago in 1996. Ms Allum has nearly four decades of experience in education and curriculum development.
Ms Allum is recognised as an expert in her field, with numerous publications in educational journals and national newspapers. In 2011, she was awarded an honorary doctorate from University of New South Wales for her dedication and contributions to education.
Although Ms Allum’s salary is not known, the estimated average full-time salary for a teacher at SCEGGS is $156,344 annually.
Notable alumni of SCEGGS include: Deputy Chair of Australian Broadcasting Company Kirstin Ferguson, Australian physicist Tanya Monro, and PR maven Roxy Jacenko.
Cranbrook School, Bellevue Hill
Cranbrook is an all boys school in Bellevue Hill and one of the most expensive schools in the country. Tuition at Cranbrook costs $38,862 a year but the cost of boarding at the school increases the bill significantly.
When boarding costs are included, Cranbrook narrowly beats prestigious Victorian school Geelong Grammar to be crowned the most expensive school in Australia with a $73,536 price tag.
Cranbrook’s headmaster, Nicholas Sampson, had previously been the principal of Geelong Grammar. The Cambridge-educated headmaster came under fire for his handling of allegations a teacher had sexually abused students at the Victorian school.
However, a royal commission found Sampson had attempted to act in the victim’s interest by not disclosing their identity and securing the teacher’s resignation. Sampson has been headmaster at Cranbrook since 2012.
The school, which has 1,541 students, reported collecting $56.4 million in fees and parent contributions in 2020 and a total combined income of nearly a hundred million dollars.
Cranbrook is currently undertaking a state-of-the-art redevelopment of its sporting facilities in tearing up the current oval to make way for an underground aquatic and fitness centre and a new oval. The project is estimated to cost the school $125 million and will be funded by the generous Cranbrook community.
Notable alumni at Cranbrook include Kerry Packer, Atlassian co-founder Mike Cannon-Bookes, and Olympic sprinter Steven Solomon.
The King’s School, Parramatta
Founded in 1831, the oldest independent school in Australia is also one of the state’s most expensive to attend. The King’s School in Parramatta prices a year’s worth of education at $38,284, or $65,537 for boarding students.
When additional technology and meal fees are tallied up, the cost increases to more than $40,000 a year without boarding.
The all boys school taught 1,412 senior students and generated more than $58.2 million from fees and parent contributions and more than $7.7 million from other sources in 2019.
The King’s School is led by headmaster Tony George, who is experienced in governing large schools and businesses. He has a passion for learning evident in his diverse tertiary qualifications in science, education, management and theology.
Mr George recently made headlines for his reaction to learning a King’s School staff member attended Sydney’s anti-lockdown protest in July and posted about it on social media. Mr George wrote to parents to inform them the teacher had been suspended from his duties for his illegal participation in the rally.
Notable alumni of The King’s School include author John Marsen, former Wallabies player Stirling Mortlock, and King of Thailand Maha Vajiralongkorn.
NORTH
Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale
An all girls school in northern NSW, Presbyterian Ladies College Armidale is known for its long standing reputation, which comes at a price.
While it pales in comparison to the price tags for Sydney schools, the annual cost of tuition at PLC Armidale doesn’t come cheap. A year of education at the school will cost parents $26,800 with an additional $23,950 if the student lives on campus.
The school earned $4.7 million from the tuition fees and parent contributions of nearly 300 students in 2019.
Nicola Taylor has been principal of PLC Armidale since 2015, when she moved to New England after three decades as a principal in southern Sydney. A highlight of her extensive background in education was her selection as the NSW Principal Representative for an international study tour to Berlin.
Notable PLC Armidale alumni include actor Kate Bell and film producer Patricia Lovell.
The Armidale School
The first coeducational school to make the rich list, The Armidale School has an emphasis on exciting co-curricular activities that no doubt add to the total cost.
Approximately 630 students at The Armidale School each contribute to the $23,940 in annual tuition fees to the school. If the student joins the current 230 students boarding at the school, the cost rises by a further $24,660 to a total cost of more than $48,000.
There are also additional outdoor activity and leasing fees of around $1,500 a year for each student.
In 2019, The Armidale School made more than $11 million in student fees and parent contributions and more than $500,000 from private sources of income.
Principal Rachel Horton’s history as a former British army captain is ideal for a school that is so enthusiastic about education through activity and challenge. Ms Horton also played representative rugby internationally for more than ten years before retiring to referee from the sidelines.
Ms Horton also achieved a doctorate in immunology in the UK before she moved to Australia and pursued a career in education.
Notable alumni of The Armidale School include politician Dave Layzell, actor Ben Mingay, and environmentalist Ian Kiernan.
WEST
Kinross Wolaroi School, Orange
The focus at Kinross Wolaroi School on making the most of the regional opportunities in the central West doesn’t come cheap.
A year’s tuition at the stunning coeducational Orange school will cost $24,540 as well as $20,640 for boarding and food if the student doesn’t live close to the school.
Of the more than 1,100 students, around 300 live on campus and pay the hefty $44,540 price while the rest are day students. Not to mention, there is also an additional Family Capital Levy which amounts to $2,400 a year.
Last year Kinross Wolaroi School earned more than $29.1 million in tuition fees and parent contributions and just over $400,00 in other income. Despite the pandemic, the school reported it made a profit of more than $4.5 million in 2020.
Principal Andrew Parry had previous experience dealing with a boarding school after working as a deputy headmaster at The King’s School for six years. Mr Parry earned his doctorate in Philosophy from Cambridge University before turning his talents to education.
He made headlines soon after his appointment at Kinross Wolaroi after he was questioned about the failure of authority figures to report an alleged act of indecency when he was working at The King’s School. However he said he had been mistaken about the reporting procedure and Kinross Wolaroi school put its full support behind him.
Notable alumni include heritage architect Ian Stapleton, cricketer Ashleigh Gardner, and Waratahs player Ben McCalman.
Scots All Saints College, Bathurst
Only a 2.5 hour drive from Sydney but it makes all the difference in terms of education cost. While still expensive, the fees for the Scots All Saints College in Bathurst are half the price of our Sydney picks.
The annual tuition fee for the school is $16,360 with an added $1,500 for maintenance. On top of that, boarding will cost a student $21,820 per year. The approximately 700 students attending Scots All Saints contributed nearly $8 million to the school in fees and parental contributions in 2019.
Scots All Saints College is led by Head John Weeks, who has a combined three decades of experience in previous principal roles in NSW. Mr Weeks co-founded Positive Education Schools Australia, which advocates for the research and integration of positive psychology for student health.
Notable alumni of Scots All Saints College include Harvey Norman co-founder Gerry Harvey, artist Brett Whiteley, and actor Stephen Peacocke.
SOUTH
The Scots School Albury
The Scots School Albury is an award-winning school with a price to match. The coeducational boarding school hosts around 470 students who have faced a difficult year with the border closures affecting interstate travel.
Nonetheless, the Scots School decided not to raise the tuition for the year so the annual fees remain steady at $19,200 with the added cost $20,100 for boarding.
The Scots School earned more than $6.2 million in fees and contributions from parents and an additional $630,000 from private sources.
Principal Mark Geraets has more than three decades of proven international experience in education, including as a principal in South Korea, Bangladesh, and Switzerland. He took the role of Acting Principal during the tough months of the pandemic but was formally inducted as the head of the school in September 2020.
Despite the difficult conditions imposed by the pandemic, Mr Geraets guided the school to award-winning excellence last year when Scots All Saints won nationwide awards for Regional School of the Year and Boarding School of the Year.
Notable Scots School Albury alumni include musician Lisa Mitchell, skier Britteny Cox, and journalist Peter Charley.
Snowy Mountains Grammar, Jindabyne
You pay a premium price to be so close to the Australian Alps that you can ski after the school bell rings.
For 340 students and their families, $14,640 is the price worth paying each year. The cost of boarding is $28, 058 per year, although the winter term costs a little extra.
The students at coeducational Snowy Mountains Grammar School hit the nearby slopes every Wednesday in winter as part of their winter school program – perks of proximity to the mountain.
Snowy Mountains Grammar School made more than $3.4 million from tuition fees and contributions as well as nearly $200,000 from private sources in 2019.
Snowy Mountains Grammar School is currently overhauling its entire campus in a multimillion dollar redevelopment project that aims to meet the growing education demand in the region. Works are expected to begin later this year.
Principal Andrew Bell is thrilled to be overseeing the changes to the campus after working on the Strategic Plan with staff. He has been leading Snowy Mountains Grammar School since 2012 after establishing himself as an educational leader in Queensland.
Under his watchful eye, the school has been awarded the Most Innovative School of the Year several times.
Notable alumni of Snowy Mountains Grammar include many winter sports stars like Rohan Chapman-Davies and Sami Kennedy-Sim.
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