School catchment areas NSW: best performing NAPLAN schools in affordable suburbs

Exclusive analysis has revealed Sydney’s best performing school NAPLAN catchments in its most affordable suburbs.

Exclusive analysis has revealed Sydney parents should consider heading west for an A grade education that won’t break the bank.

News Corp has launched ‘Bang for Buck’, a unique data set that identifies high performing state schools and the most affordable property markets within each school’s catchment area.

The formula uses the latest NAPLAN results, PropTrack’s median house price values and school catchment mapping.

And Western Sydney, South-West Sydney and Blue Mountains schools have dominated both the primary and secondary school top 10 suburb lists.

Sydney family, Sammi Chung with her two kids and husband are looking to buy within the Chatswood catchment zone. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

SYDNEYS’ BEST SCHOOL CATCHMENTS IN AFFORDABLE SUBURBS

Richmond Public School topped the primary school list.

The school zone has a median house price of $885,000 and an average 535.2 NAPLAN score, giving it a 441.9 Bang for Buck score.

Next was Kingswood Public with a slightly higher median house price of $964,200 and a higher NAPLAN median of 542, creating a 441.9 bang for buck score.

Quakers Hill Public came in third, scoring 428.7.

Heading south, Sutherland Public scored 424.6, with house prices in the catchment zone sitting at $1.48m and a high NAPLAN average of 576.8.

Rounding out the primary school top 10 were Greystanes Public, Ellison Public, Hornsby North Public, Holsworthy Public, Macquarie Fields Public and Blackheath Public.

Macquarie Fields High School topped the secondary school list, making it the only area to rank in the top 10 for both primary and high school.

The reasonably affordable house price median of $884,600 complimented a NAPLAN average of 615.4, to give Macquarie Fields a 101.2 score.

Sefton High was next best, scoring 90.6, followed by Parramatta High (88.6) and Canley Vale High (81.7).

Two Inner West schools crept into the top 10, with Tempe High School and Newtown High School of Performing Arts scoring 79.7 and 79.3 respectively, while Western Sydney’s Blaxland High, Carlingford High and Baulkham Hills High made the top 10.

Despite having a median house price of $3.19m, Chatswood High School’s strong NAPLAN score of 627.2 pushed it into 10th position on the list.

Hornsby North Public School in Sydney made the top 10. Picture: Richard Dobson

Sammi Chung has two sons, one who attends Chatswood High School and the other who attends the public primary school.

“The kids don’t need to go to private school or do much else outside of their schools, both of them have gotten really good results, they both are involved in sport, music and other activities too,” Ms Chung said.

“The kids love it, they meet lots of different people from lots of different cultures at their school too.”

Ms Chung has been renting for six years, but is now looking to purchase within Chatswood’s catchment zone.

“We have had to increase our budget, but in this area we are fine in an apartment because the kids are near school, it’s easy for us to pick them up, and with the shops nearby too we can cut down the travel time.”

Sammi Chung with her eldest son Marcus, husband Phillip and youngest Ryan. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

Plus Agency principal Peter Li said many of his buyers have their hearts set on Chatswood.

“I might suggest one suburb over and they check the school finder website and say no because it’s not in the Chatswood catchment zone,” he said, adding that many families compromise on home size to get the right location.

“In Chatswood you can get an apartment for $2m, where you could get a house in Cherrybrook or Castle Hill, but they will compromise that to stay near the school and community.”

Professor of anthropology and sociology at ECU, Martin Forsey, said research indicated parents will move to be closer to a school with a good NAPLAN result.

“When you look at a strong NAPLAN result, it does seem to affect real estate,” he said, noting that the trend was more prevalent with high schools than primary.

He added that social class and zoning can make an impact on a child's education.

“And those that are aspirational getting drawn into those zones are reinforcing an educational position from a class position,” he said.

Newtown Performing Arts High School ranked number 7 on the bang for buck secondary school list.

Sydney University education professor Helen Proctor said parents shouldn’t define a school just by NAPLAN results, because they only measure literacy and numeracy.

“It’s only one short test on one day, it's a snapshot of a moment in time,” Professor Proctor said. “I think you want to look at anti-bullying policies and the wellbeing structures they have in place. Parents should also lobby for good conditions for teachers. Happy educators make a good learning environment.”

She also said a good principal who supports teachers and listens to children can make a real difference.

“I don’t think it’s necessary to pay the big bucks to access an elite private school education, I think public schools do an excellent job.”

Originally published as School catchment areas NSW: best performing NAPLAN schools in affordable suburbs