NSW primary schools dominate top 100 NAPLAN-performing primary schools

Private schools have secured more than half of the top 100 spots in the list of Australia’s best-performing primary schools. See if your school ranked in the top 100.

Australia’s top 100 NAPLAN-performing primary schools have been revealed in this exclusive analysis.

Over half of the nation’s top primary schools are in New South Wales as private schools also featured prominently in the top 100.

Many of the schools featured in the list have high levels of socio-educational advantage – indicating their student cohort has natural advantages including their parents’ level of education and occupation.

This masthead analysed the average NAPLAN score of year 5 students in all states and territories except Western Australia to determine the top 100 primary schools performers.

The majority of schools were in the private sector, making up 58 of the top 100.

Sydney Grammar School was the nation’s top-ranked primary school in terms of year 5 NAPLAN performance.

New South Wales schools dominated the list, snatching 55 spots, while Victoria placed second with 35 schools in the top 100.

The top-performing year 5 NAPLAN school nationally was elite all-boys private school Sydney Grammar School, with an average score of 625.4.

Its senior school placed seventh overall in the national secondary schools list. 

Beecroft Public School in NSW was the top-ranked public school nationally, placing third with an average score of 595.4.

Victoria’s top-ranked primary school was private Ballarat Clarendon College, which placed ninth in the nation with an average score of 590.2.

High-flyer Oakleigh South Primary School was the state’s top public primary school at spot 16.

Queensland had six in the top 100 list, with top-ranked public Sunnybank Hills State School placing 25th in the nation with an average score of 581.6.

Three South Australian schools made the list, with private Dara School taking the 23rd spot with an average score of 582.4.

Rose Park Primary School year 5 students Jackie, Laura, Michael and Ali were part of the cohort which ranked second in South Australia and 69th in the nation. Picture: Kelly Barnes

The small education sector of Tasmania had one school make the top 100 – private John Calvin School in spot 76.

In NSW, selective opportunity classes lifted the average NAPLAN scores of public schools by up to 7 per cent.

Opportunity classes are designed to extend and challenge academically gifted children in the public system and students must sit a placement test to earn a spot when they

are in year 4.

Interactive: Use the dropdown menus to switch to other states’ results, and the tabs to switch between primary and secondary results

This trend resulted in nearly as many NSW public schools (26) making the list as private schools (29).

There is no similar program in Victoria, but 13 public primary schools still made the list.

The head of the peak organisation of public school parents, ACSSO chief executive Dianne Giblin, reminded parents that NAPLAN is just one measure of a school’s ability.

“NAPLAN can be a helpful snapshot, but it is just one measure,” Ms Giblin said.

“It does not tell families about a school’s culture, wellbeing, inclusion, safety, specialist programs, teacher relationships or how well the school supports diverse learners.”

Originally published as NSW primary schools dominate top 100 NAPLAN-performing primary schools