With so many institutions to choose from, it’s arguably more challenging to select the top primary schools just based on general feedback and idealistic merits. Things like curriculum, ethos and history are all good indicators, but even they tend to even out or cancel each other when put in perspective.
Without question, your kid’s primary school will pave the way for their pursuit of academic excellence and help develop personal values that they will likely carry for most of their lives. Your child’s early personal interests and needs play a factor too, among other things. Therefore, it’s only fair that you feel cautiously excited and worried when making such a life-altering commitment.
Click here to find the best primary school in NSW for your child.
Top 10 Primary Schools in Sydney
For our part, we took a more grounded and informed approach in examining the best primary schools in New South Wales. More precisely, we gave more credence to recent results and measurable outcomes. This data-driven approach and research is what led us to this comprehensive list of the most desirable schools in Sydney!
Sydney Grammar School, Darlinghurst
School Sector: Non-government
Year Range: Prep – Year 12
The Sydney Grammar School is our consensus top pick for primary education in Sydney.
It’s given that the school has a rich history rooted in NSW, but beyond that, it is also the top-performing primary school in all of Sydney.
Grammar’s repeated success elevated it as a dependable place for young boys to start their academic journey and build their character. Additionally, the school is well-known for its academic extension program that lets students pursue special interests under the guidance of a professor who is an expert in their respective fields in the arts, music, sports and other disciplines.
Woollahra Public School, Woollahra
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
Woollahra Public School, which recently underwent refurbishments, is one of the most storied institutions in Sydney. While classes are generally composed of students who are of the same age, Woollahra favors staged-based classes where it’s applicable.
This means students are clustered according to their progress rather than their school chronological year. The philosophy behind this is that growth is determined in stages and not magically by age. Meanwhile, opportunity classes are available for academically gifted students in Years 5 and 6, whereas entry is determined via assessment through the Selective Schools Unit, Sydney.
Beecroft Public School, Beecroft
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
The Beecroft Public School is another public school in Sydney that has consistently been punching above its weight to deliver outstanding academic results that rival that of advantaged schools. Aside from general studies in literacy and numeracy, Beecroft’s curriculum adds emphasis on ethical and cultural understanding.
There are cross-curriculum priorities dedicated to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories, as well as Australia and Asia’s cultural engagements. If you wish for your kid to develop an active lifestyle early on, then you’ll be happy to know that personal development, health and physical education (PDHPE) is mandatory from Kindergarten to Year 10.
Abbotsleigh, Wahroonga
School Sector: Non-government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 12
Abbotsleigh’s Anglican School for early learning is celebrated for its stark focus on engaging and stimulating programs where children are given space to play and are encouraged to ask questions. Outside of their Christian ethos, their educational programs are informed by the Reggio Emilia Approach from northern Italy, which is often characterized as a learning model that treasures the many ways children explore their worlds and express themselves.
The Abbotsleigh Early Learning Center is open for boys and girls up to five years of age, while girls aged four can also enroll in a Transition class where they can join specialist music, French, physical education, and Christian studies lessons. Girls in the Transition class receive priority to join Abbotsleigh’s Kindergarten classes for the next step of their academic journey.
Matthew Pearce Public School, Baulkham Hills
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
Matthew Pearce Public School in Castle Hill is among Sydney’s top public primary schools which employs a stage-based curriculum. Notably, Kindergarten to Year 6 focuses on six key learning areas: Science and Technology, Creative Arts, English, Mathematics, PDHPE, Geography and History. Year 3 students, meanwhile, also have the opportunity to engage with digital learning under the school’s 1-to-1 “Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD) technology program. This project aims to promote, explore and embrace digital curriculum possibilities in the 21st century.
Artarmon Public School, Artamon
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
Artarmon Public School hosts a diverse student population where more than 50% typically come from non-English speaking backgrounds. The school is not only for its excellence in academics but also for its programs and achievements in music. Artarmon pupils can explore their music interests via the school’s guitar and group, band, and strings programs. The latter two are open for children in Years 3 to 6, while the former has lessons that are catered to all levels.
St. Ives North Public School, St Ives
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
St. Ives North Public School sports over 45 extracurricular activities that children can choose from on top of their regular learning activities. Some of the programs include different variety of sports, language, choir, chess, debate, and the celebrated, collaboratively-themed Tournament of Minds.
St. Ives is also lauded for its Positive Behaviour Engaging Students (PBEL) program that promotes student health and wellbeing. PBEL is often characterized as a student-driven and school-wide program that nurtures an encouraging learning environment where children are aware of what is expected of them. Lastly, St. Ives offers extensive support for students earning English as an additional language or dialect (EAL/D).
John Colet School, Belrose
School Sector: Non government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
The John Colet School in Belrose is a multi-faith, co-ed primary school with a focus on the development of values, character, and attention as the basis of academic excellence. Noticeably, professors in John Colet can stay with the same class for consecutive years, which according to the school’s philosophy helps build relationships between pupils and teachers, as well as support emotional and social growth.
While John Colet is open to exploring contemporary learning programs, their approach to teaching is proudly traditional. Meaning the school puts emphasis on helping children develop solid foundations in literacy and numeracy, in order to naturally help them express themselves clearly and creatively in more complex and diverse areas.
Hornsby North Public School, Hornsby
School Sector: Government school
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
Hornsby North Public School in Central Coast can be described as a community-driven institution that believes in developing a nurturing school environment with the help of committed professional educators and an active parenting community. In fact, the school’s mission statement “caring for children, educating for life” was developed in tandem with teachers and parents.
Naturally, Hornsby’s curriculum is aligned with the NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for Kindergarten to Year 12. This means that the curriculum is focused on creative arts, human society and its environment (HSIE), mathematics, science and technology, English and PDHPE. For extracurricular, Hornsby boasts a book club, chess, band, dance and choir lessons.
North Rocks Public School, North Rocks
School Sector: Government School
Year Range: Prep – Year 6
North Rocks Public School thrives thanks to a strong community and expansive cultural programs. Students also enjoy a lighter environment as evidenced by the school’s Crunch and Sip program, which involves the children drinking water and eating a small snack (fruits or vegetables) during their morning sessions.
Sip and Crunch aims to promote healthy eating habits but has also reportedly fueled improved behavior and concentration among students. The school is also equipped with and training modules that support an Autism/IO learning class.
Choosing the Best Primary Schools in NSW
Factoring the entire school’s performance, other primary schools in NSW that were on our shortlist are Epping West Public School, which has a good student-to-teacher ratio, and the adventure-driven Gib Gate School at Old Bowral Road.
Ultimately, there are also other factors that can supersede recent school performance and past achievements. After all, matters about culture, values and religion to name a few are all valid priorities. What we’ve learned ourselves during our in-depth look at Sydney’s education system and landscape is that it continues to be more diverse and collectively inclusive. It’s an encouraging sign and a welcome advantage for parents who wish to truly make the most of their children’s early learning experience.
Click here to find the best primary school in NSW for your child.
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For more information on private schools in NSW, click here.
