NSW top secondary schools: Better Education analysis reveals best 50 schools from years 7-10

There were a few surprises in NSW top secondary schools, with government and single-sex high schools dominating last year’s ratings for years 7-10. See if your local school made the list.

The top 50 secondary schools in NSW on academic achievement have been revealed, with selective and partially selective government schools dominating the top rankings.

Single sex schools also performed well – with four boys’ schools and three girls’ schools featuring in the top 10.

The Better Education analysis of 2022 academic outcomes for secondary schools – from Year 7 to Year 10 and excluding the HSC years* — shows James Ruse Agricultural High leading the list of “Best High Schools in NSW”, based on academic performance, with a score of 100.

Number two spot was taken by Baulkham Hills High School, followed by North Sydney Boys, Sydney Girls, North Sydney Girls and Hornsby Girls, all achieving overall scores of 100.

Scroll down to search if for your school made the list.

James Ruse Agricultural High School has topped the state. Picture: Google

Only one non-government school made the top 10 – the private Sydney Grammar at Darlinghurst, which is also academically selective, as boys are required to sit English and maths tests to be admitted as students, and where annual fees of $38,709 are charged for Year 12 students.

Conservatorium High School on Conservatorium Rd, did exceptionally well on the list. Photographer: Adam Yip

The other nine schools in the Top Ten list were all fully selective government schools.

The Better Education website is run independently and says it aims to provide “informative and comparative school results, including school rankings or ratings and lists of best performing schools, to parents wanting to make ¬ choices about schooling for their children”.

The best overall score is an index of performance, not a ranking, with the highest score is 100 and the worst is 60.

READ ALSO: NSW’S 50 TOP PRIMARY SCHOOLS

It uses academic results from tests including literacy and numeracy tests.

Interestingly, by focusing on Years 7 to 10 and excluding HSC results, some private schools such as Reddam House, Abbotsleigh and Loreto were bumped further down the top list compared with their higher rankings based on HSC results last year.

A notable high performing government high school was the Conservatorium High School coming in at number 12 with a score of 99 per cent.

Single sex high schools performed well in the rankings.

The school is not selective on academic grounds but managed to edge out a significant number of the state’s high schools – including academically selective high schools like Northern Beaches Secondary College, St George Girls, Caringbah High, Sydney Tech and Penrith High.

Located in Sydney’s CBD, the historic school requires students to undergo voice or instrument auditions to be selected along with aural tests, interviews and written music theory papers, but not academic English or maths tests.

Selective high schools in NSW dominated the top ten list of best academic schools.

Conservatorium High School principal Ian Barker said the specialist music school catered to “some of the most gifted young musicians in the country”.

“The young musicians selected to attend Conservatorium High are not only gifted, capable young people, they have worked hard and developed self-discipline,” he said.

“These traits also go hand in glove with academic success.

“Surrounded by similarly talented young people, and supported by excellent teachers and a comprehensive music and academic program of education, the success of our students continues to be a great source of pride for the school.”

Willoughby Girls High on the north shore was the first non-selective school on the list of top academic schools for Years 7 to 10 in 2022.

The first non-selective public school on the list was Willoughby Girls High, coming in at number 40 with a score of 98, just below SCEGGS of Darlinghurst, which was ranked 39, with a score of 98.

The elite SCEGGS charges annual fees of $44,224 a year in Year 12 per annum, and includes notable alumni such as film director Gillian Armstrong, writer Blanche d’Alpuget as well as former High Court Justice Virginia Bell.

Single sex schools also figured prominently in the top 50 list – with 13 girls schools including Sydney Girls (100), North Sydney Girls, (100), Hornsby Girls (100), St George Girls (99), Abbotsleigh (99), Meriden (99), Tara Anglican, (99), Pymble Ladies College (99), MLC (99), Ascham, (99), Presbyterian Ladies College (99), SCEGGS (98) and Willoughby Girls (98).

Nine boys only schools were in the top 50, including North Sydney Boys (100), Sydney Boys (100), Sydney Grammar (100), Normanhurst Boys (100), Sydney Technical (99), St Aloysius’ College (99), Knox Grammar (99), Shore (98), Kings (98) and Cranbrook (98).

Independent schools with lower fees and top scores include Arden Anglican at Epping which scored 98 and was ranked one above Cranbrook. Year 12 fees at Arden are just over $22,000 a year, compared with Cranbrook’s $41,889.

Baulkham Hills high school was rated among the best schools.

*The Better Education ratings are divided into junior (years 7-10) and senior (years 11-12)

The website says: “Senior secondary school rankings are mainly based on Years 11-12 students’ ATAR (or similar) results … while high school ratings are based on English and maths tests of a couple of years between Year 7 and Year 10.

“Based on literacy and numeracy test results of year 9 and year 7, we give high schools ratings. The competition of these tests is not as strong as Year 12 exams. Also these results are less important than Year 12 results to some degree.

“This is the reason that we use the term rating instead of ranking here.

“The school’s resources, teachers (skills, experience and dedication), students’ further effort and parents’ support during year 10, 11 and 12 can contribute to a big discrepancy between the ranking and the rating.”