Better Education 2023 analysis reveals Victoria’s top secondary schools

Victoria’s top 100 high schools have been named, with several government schools in the suburbs outperforming private campuses that charge big fees. See if your school made the list.

Haileybury College is ranked 8th among Victoria’s top schools. Music students Alexis (singer), Ruby (Saxophone), Raenav (drums), Samantha (Violin) and Joshua (keyboard) with their instruments. Picture: Tony Gough

Victoria’s top secondary schools have been named, with several government schools outperforming their high-fee private counterparts.

The Better Education analysis of 2023 academic outcomes shows selective government schools including Melbourne High School, Mac. Robertson Girls’ High School, Nossal High School and Suzanne Cory High School once again topped the list, receiving the maximum score of 100.

Other standout schools in the top 10 include Presbyterian Ladies’ College in Burwood (100), Ballarat Clarendon College (100), Fintona Girls’ School in Balwyn (100), Haileybury College (99), Camberwell Grammar School (99) and Camberwell Girls’ Grammar School (99).

The website is run independently and describes its aim as providing “informative and comparative” school results using various methods including VCE and ATAR scores to assist parents making choices about schooling for their children.

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

Some of the top performing government schools include Glen Waverley Secondary College (99), Balwyn High School (98), East Doncaster Secondary College (98), Highvale Secondary College (98), Victorian College of the Arts Secondary School (98) and Box Hill High School (97).

Haileybury College is ranked 8th among Victoria’s top 100 secondary schools. Picture: Tony Gough

Schools that achieved a score of 97 include Kardinia International College, Lowther Hall Anglican Grammar School and Bacchus Marsh Grammar.

Huntingtower School in Mt Waverley, which scored 99, charges just under $30,000 – $10,000 less than other leading private schools.

Lighthouse Christian College, Cranbourne and St Andrews Christian College, Wantirna South also rank highly but have even lower fees – less than $13,000 in year 12.

Out of the top 100 schools, 24 were girls’ schools, while nine were boys’ schools.

Haileybury principal and chief executive Derek Scott said he was pleased the school had once again been recognised as one of Victoria’s leading secondary schools.

Presbyterian Ladies College is among the schools that scored a perfect score. Picture: Wayne Taylor

“Haileybury has a strong commitment to an holistic education experience for its students which is underpinned by a strong focus on evidence based practice in the classroom,” Mr Scott said.

“An explicit teaching approach in the junior school classrooms builds the strongest possible literacy and numeracy foundations from which the students can build their analytical and creative skills.

“Haileybury students consistently achieve outstanding academic results – results that are due to the hard work of the students themselves, and the professional commitment and expertise of Haileybury’s brilliant and passionate teachers and staff.”

Mr Scott said as Haileybury was an open-entry school, it was pleasing that students achieved some of the best results in the state for NAPLAN and VCE.

“Haileybury’s mantra is that ‘every student matters every day’ and ‘every staff member matters every day’.

“It is this focus that helps the school support students to discover their strengths and passions, to spark their curiosity and enterprising spirit, and to realise their potential.”