How are ranges are calculated
We understand that choosing a school is a big decision and we are on a mission to make the process easier.
That’s why EdScout is building up a set of EdScout Insights to categorise school information into simple, easy-to-understand at a glance ranges.
Our ranges are based on publicly available data, education research, and national averages. Whether it’s school size, extracurriculars or academic performance, our aim is to help you quickly spot what matters most to your family and move forward with confidence.
Below, we explain how each category works and how we define the terms you’ll see across EdScout.
Academics
We classify academic performance into three categories:
- Elite: Typically in the top 5% nationally
- Top: Typically in the top 20% within their state
- Standard: Schools outside the above categories
These categories are based on aggregated academic outcomes such as NAPLAN, ATAR, or other academic benchmarks where available.
We recognise that academic performance matters—for some families, it’s even the deciding factor. But we also know that small ranking differences don’t tell the full story. Whether a school is ranked #6 or #15, its overall contribution to student success remains the same. Plus, academic rankings have significant limitations by themselves.
So rather than ranking schools down to the decimal point, we take a different approach by grouping schools based on consistent academic achievement. This helps families identify high-performing schools without getting lost in numbers that don’t meaningfully impact school choice.
Student–Teacher Ratio (STR)
This is the number of students per teacher and a key indicator of how much attention your child might receive in the classroom.
We compare each school’s STR to the national average for its sector (Government, Catholic, or Independent). For example, if you’re considering a Government school, we’ll show how its STR compares to other Government schools — not all schools nationwide.
- Better than Average: Lower STR than sector average (more teachers per student)
- Average: Within a small margin of the sector average
- Lower than Average: Higher STR than sector average (fewer teachers per student)
For reference here are the 2024 National Averages (Source: ABS)
- All Schools: 12.9 students per teacher
- Primary Schools: 14.0
- Secondary Schools: 11.7
- By Sector:
- Independent: 11.7
- Government: 13.1
- Catholic: 13.3
Size:
We categorise school size based on enrolment numbers:
- Very Small: under 100 students
- Small: 100–299
- Medium: 300–599
- Large: 600–1,199
- Very Large: 1,200+
This helps families understand the overall scale of a school — whether it’s a close-knit community or a larger, more diverse environment.
Cost
We break down tuition fees into simple bands, depending on school level. We focus on the fees for the highest year for example Y6 for Primary or Y12 for Secondary as they are generally the most expensive years.
Primary Schools:
- Very Low: under $2,000
- Low: $2,000–$5,000
- Average: $5,001–$10,000
- High: $10,001–$20,000
- Very High: over $20,000
Secondary/Combined Schools:
- Very Low: under $5,000
- Low: $5,000–$10,000
- Average: $10,001–$20,000
- High: $20,001–$30,000
- Very High: over $30,000
Extracurricular Options
Coming Soon
We’ll soon show whether schools offer strong programs in areas like sport, the arts, leadership, clubs, and outdoor education.
Keywords & School Descriptors
Coming Soon
We use helpful keywords to summarise key themes or stand-out traits of a school.
These are based on a mix of school mission statements, reviews, and publicly available data, and are designed to help families get a feel for a school’s personality at a glance.
We use helpful keywords to summarise recurring themes or stand-out traits of a school. These are drawn from mission statements, parent reviews, and other available information — and are designed to give you a quick feel for a school’s character.
Final Note
We’re constantly improving our data and welcome your feedback. If you notice something that doesn’t look right — or if your school offers more than we’ve captured — we’d love to hear from you.
