List: The Territory’s most and least expensive private schools

It will cost more than double the NT’s median salary to send a child to one of the Territory’s highest-performing private schools for their entire learning journey. See which schools cost the most.

Parents and guardians hoping to send their child to the NT’s highest-performing private schools for their entire learning journey will need to set aside more than double the Territory’s median salary.

Enrolling a child at Haileybury Rendall School from Transition to Year 12 adds up to $178,815 to cover tuition and the school’s application, enrolment, and entrance fees, according to the school’s 2024 fee schedule.

The Essington School’s latest fee schedule reveals a child enrolled from T-12 will cost $176,723, which includes tuition and application and enrolment fees.

Haileybury Rendall School and The Essington School are the NT’s most expensive non-government schools.

Both schools ranked at the top of the Territory’s 2023 NAPLAN scores for primary and secondary education, and Haileybury students beat their school’s average ATAR by six percentage points last year.

The Australian Bureau of Statistics has revealed the NT’s median salary in the 2021 financial year was just $65,906 – just 36.9 per cent and 37.2 per cent of Haileybury’s and Essington’s total fees respectively.

An independent analysis of the NT’s non-government school fees compiled the cost of each school’s final year in primary or secondary school.

Some schools are listed twice where they offer classes across primary and secondary levels.

Haileybury and Essington were the Territory’s most pricey non-government schools.

Parents and guardians would need to fork out $14,000 for their Year 6 child to enrol at HRS, or $14,965 for a Year 12 student.

The Essington School charges $13,110 for a Year 6 student and $14,540 for a Year 12 student.

A Year 12 student in 2022 could have attended either school for $11,615 and $12,830 respectively.

It comes as the NT government boosts the popular Back to School voucher scheme by $50 per child.

Moulden Primary School parent Kirsty Pratt previously said the extra money meant parents could breathe a little easier when sending their kids to school in 2024.

“With the rise in the cost of living, obviously the extra 50 bucks will definitely go a long way,” Ms Pratt said.

“It can be for an extra uniform, or to put money towards excursions and things like that – I think it’s awesome.”

Originally published as List: The Territory’s most and least expensive private schools