Student enrolments soar at SA’s top NAPLAN-scoring public schools | See the list

The state’s top performing public high schools have seen huge spikes in student numbers, new analysis reveals. Search your school to see how it ranks.

South Australia’s top performing public high schools have seen massive growth in enrolments in recent years, analysis by The Advertiser reveals.

Among them is Mitcham Girls High School – the state’s only single-sex public school – which has boosted enrolments by 40 per cent in five years.

There are now about 800 students enrolled at the all-girls school, coming from about 65 suburbs and 100 primary schools across Adelaide.

“We’re one of the only schools that exist in this format in Australia, and around the world, that do have such rich results in NAPLAN,” said deputy principal Nathan Cini.

Located in Adelaide’s inner-south, Mitcham Girls ranked sixth in the state among public schools for year 9 literacy and numeracy test results last year.

The Advertiser has analysed these results, and student numbers at government schools over the previous five years.

Among the top 10 secondary schools, ranked by the average Year 9 NAPLAN score in 2023, all but one saw significant increases in enrolments.

RANKED: HOW EVERY SA SCHOOL PERFORMED IN 2023

The secret to Mitcham Girls’ success, principal Rosie Heinicke said, was creating a “safe and supportive environment”.

Mitcham Girls school ranked highly in NAPLAN and student numbers have grown by 40 per cent in the past five years. Principal Rosie Heinicke with Year 12 Students Annabel, Hollie and Sarah. Picture: Brett Hartwig

“We look at academic achievement but also wellbeing and engagement,” Ms Heinicke said, adding that staff hold a meal every Wednesday morning where all students can “grab some breakfast and have a chat with the staff”.

Mr Cini said the school “works really hard to create that sense of belonging … so that they are feeling safe and supported”.

“Once students feel connected and have that sense of belonging then they’re really ready to take that next level in the classroom around the academics,” he said.

Across town, Brighton Secondary School was the only top 10 high school to record a slight drop in enrolments – by just seven students.

In 2019, the popular campus capped how many students it would accept from outside its catchment area for special programs including music, volleyball and international students.

High demand for places also led to a limit on Year 8 enrolments.

Part of the growth in student populations at the top-performing schools can be attributed to the shifting of Year 7 into high school in 2022.

However, growth at some campuses goes beyond that bump.

In addition to the 40 per cent growth at Mitcham Girls School, The Heights School in Modbury, which offers Reception to Year 12 classes, grew by almost 32 per cent over the five year.

Unley High School’s student body swelled by 33 per cent in Adelaide’s east and numbers rose by 28 per cent at Heathfield High School in the Hills.

There was exponential growth recorded at Adelaide Botanic High School, in the CBD, because it only opened its doors in 2019.

Most campuses where the student population shrank are in regional areas, where residential numbers can be more variable.

Even so, in many cases reductions were small, including Minlaton District School (19 fewer students) and Ardrossan Area School (three fewer students).

Minlaton District School principal Andrew Dickinson and students Madi-Lee Ryan, Sasha May, and Kalan Modra. Picture: Tom Huntley

Most of the state’s top-performing public primary schools recorded a drop in students numbers, which can be partly attributed to losing Year 7 students to nearby high schools from 2022.

However the student population at Goodwood Primary School, in the city’s east, held steady and Lucindale Area School, in the state’s southeast, grew by 22 students.

Some schools also have capacity management plans imposed by the Education Department because demand for enrolments exceeds available space on campus.

These plans can limit the number of students accepted in any year level, prevent enrolment of students outside the school’s catchment area or revoke automatic entry for siblings of current students accepted from outside the catchment area.

Campuses with current capacity management plans in place, according the department’s website, include Linden Park Primary School, Magill School and North Adelaide Primary School and Adelaide High School, Glenunga International High School and Adelaide Botanic High School.

In February, The Advertiser reported that education officials estimated 14 public primary and secondary schools across SA would be over capacity in 2025.

Another 16 schools will have just 20, or fewer, spare spots.

In 2023, Education Minister Blair Boyer flagged a new “make every school a great school” program focused on increasing enrolments at under-utilised schools, lifting student outcomes and “taking the pressure off surrounding schools”.

Originally published as Student enrolments soar at SA’s top NAPLAN-scoring public schools | See the list