New NAPLAN data reveals top Northern Territory primary and secondary schools

New NAPLAN data reveals the Northern Territory’s top performing primary and secondary schools. See where your school ranks on our exclusive list.

New NAPLAN data reveals a reshuffle of the Northern Territory’s top performing schools, with private providers outclassing government schools.

Exclusive analysis by this masthead analysed 2025 NAPLAN results to determine the highest performing primary and secondary schools in the Territory.

Two private schools dominated both stages, but up and coming government schools also made the list.

Topping the primary school ranking for the fourth consecutive year was Haileybury Rendall School.

The independent school’s year 5 cohort recorded an average score of 533.8 across the NAPLAN metrics — reading, writing, spelling, grammar and numeracy.

This is a six point improvement on last year’s score.

Overachieving Larrakeyah Primary School also nudged into second spot, displacing other local independent powerhouse The Essington School.

In secondary schooling, News Corp’s top-ranked NT private school The Essington School maintained its number one spot for the fourth year in a row.

Principal Paul Nyhuis at the top ranked Northern Territory private school, The Essington School. Picture: Darcy Fitzgerald

Haileybury placed second with eight of the top ten secondary schools also being private.

The top 10 primary list was more balanced, with half of schools being government.

This exclusive ranking was determined through analysis of school’s Year 5 and 9 NAPLAN data to reveal an average score.

Smaller school and those with low participation rates in NAPLAN were excluded from the list.

This year’s data gives families and schools the first opportunity to compare the cohort’s NAPLAN growth post-Covid.

Haileybury Rendall School principal Andrew McGregor. Haileybury continued its unbeaten streak in primary schools ranking. Picture: Sierra Haigh

NAPLAN is an annual literacy and numeracy test for students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 across Australia.

In 2025, the Northern Territory recorded abysmal NAPLAN scores, leading Education Minister Jo Hersey to double down on explicit teaching and ‘back to basics’ literacy and numeracy education in response to the poor performance.

Mrs Hersey said her government’s plan to boost school attendance and focus on back to basics literacy and numeracy education would see NAPLAN results improve moving forward.

Mrs Hersey’s Country Liberal Party government is prioritising attendance and basic literacy and numeracy teaching in a bid to raise NAPLAN performance. Picture: Darcy Fitzgerald

The shocking Territory-wide data revealed three in five Territory students were not meeting national literacy and numeracy standards.

But the schools topping this masthead’s exclusive list have bucked the trend, as many overperformers achieved impressive growth.

Larrakeyah Primary School rose to second spot this year.

Second-ranked Larrakeyah Primary School principal Fathma Mauger and students Daniel Rees, 10, Victor Lee, 8 and Fiona Bromell, 9. Picture: Pema Tamang Pakhrin

Principal Fathma Mauger credited a strong wellbeing program as key to their success.

“The other thing we’re strong at in this school is we understand the connection between student wellbeing and academic success,” Ms Mauger said.

“We have strong wellbeing programs, so kids want to come to school and they want to learn.

“Because I really believe that developing happy, confident, resilient kids combined with high quality, data informed teaching is the key to academic success.”

TOP 5 PRIMARY SCHOOLS

1. Haileybury Rendall School
2. Larrakeyah Primary School
3. The Essington School
   
4. Parap Primary School
   
5. Stuart Park Primary School

TOP 5 SECONDARY SCHOOLS

1. The Essington School
2. Haileybury Rendall School
3. Darwin Middle School
4. St Philip’s College
5. Sattler Christian College
   

Originally published as New NAPLAN data reveals top Northern Territory primary and secondary schools