Top 11 independent schools in Newcastle (2025)
Independent (non-government, non-Catholic-system) schools. Ranked by the Success Index from official ACARA data; 11 schools shown out of all eligible independent schools in Newcastle.
- Primary Schools
- High Schools
- Public Schools
- Private Schools
- Catholic Schools
- Public Primary Schools
- Public High Schools
- Private Primary Schools
- Private High Schools
- Girls' Schools
- Boys' Schools
- K-12 Schools
- VCE Schools by Median Study Score
- Schools with Top ATAR Students (WA)
- VCE Schools by Study Scores of 40+
- Fastest-Growing Schools
- Schools With the Best Student–Teacher Ratio
- Largest Schools
- 188Newcastle Grammar SchoolThe Hill · Independent CombinedICSEA 1181 · 1,049 students
- 274St Philip's Christian College - WaratahWaratah · Independent CombinedICSEA 1138 · 1,466 students
- 367Bishop Tyrrell Anglican CollegeFletcher · Independent CombinedICSEA 1085 · 860 students
- 466Belmont Christian CollegeBelmont North · Independent CombinedICSEA 1091 · 907 students
- 561Newcastle Waldorf SchoolGlendale · Independent CombinedICSEA 1072 · 237 students
- 659Macquarie CollegeWallsend · Independent CombinedICSEA 1110 · 1,060 students
- 757Hunter Christian SchoolMayfield · Independent CombinedICSEA 1061 · 337 students
- 852Charlton Christian CollegeFassifern · Independent CombinedICSEA 1063 · 831 students
- 948Avondale SchoolCooranbong · Independent CombinedICSEA 1055 · 977 students
- 1046Brightwaters Christian CollegeBrightwaters · Independent CombinedICSEA 1001 · 106 students
- 1140Heritage College Lake MacquarieMorisset · Independent CombinedICSEA 1002 · 511 students
| # | School | Sector | Success Index | ICSEA | Students | Students : teacher |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Newcastle Grammar School The Hill · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 87.8 Top 5% | 1181 | 1,049 | 10.7 |
| 2 | St Philip's Christian College - Waratah Waratah · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 74.4 Top 25% | 1138 | 1,466 | 12.9 |
| 3 | Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College Fletcher · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 67.4 Top 25% | 1085 | 860 | 13.0 |
| 4 | Belmont Christian College Belmont North · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 65.8 Top 25% | 1091 | 907 | 12.9 |
| 5 | Newcastle Waldorf School Glendale · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 60.9 Top 50% | 1072 | 237 | 10.5 |
| 6 | Macquarie College Wallsend · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 59.3 Top 50% | 1110 | 1,060 | 14.3 |
| 7 | Hunter Christian School Mayfield · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 57.2 Top 50% | 1061 | 337 | 12.4 |
| 8 | Charlton Christian College Fassifern · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 51.7 Top 50% | 1063 | 831 | 15.1 |
| 9 | Avondale School Cooranbong · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 48.3 Top 50% | 1055 | 977 | 14.5 |
| 10 | Brightwaters Christian College Brightwaters · Combined · K-10 | Independent | 46.2 Lower 50% | 1001 | 106 | 10.2 |
| 11 | Heritage College Lake Macquarie Morisset · Combined · K-12 | Independent | 40.4 Lower 50% | 1002 | 511 | 12.7 |
There are 11 independent schools in Newcastle eligible for this list; the top 11 are shown. Newcastle Grammar School in The Hill is ranked first with a Success Index of 87.8 and an ICSEA of 1181. 0 of the top 11 are government schools and 11 are Catholic or independent; the median ICSEA across the list is 1072.
The top 10 independent schools in Newcastle for 2025 are: 1. Newcastle Grammar School (The Hill); 2. St Philip's Christian College - Waratah (Waratah); 3. Bishop Tyrrell Anglican College (Fletcher); 4. Belmont Christian College (Belmont North); 5. Newcastle Waldorf School (Glendale); 6. Macquarie College (Wallsend); 7. Hunter Christian School (Mayfield); 8. Charlton Christian College (Fassifern); 9. Avondale School (Cooranbong); 10. Brightwaters Christian College (Brightwaters).
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Frequently asked questions
What is the best independent school in Newcastle?
Newcastle Grammar School in The Hill ranks first among independent schools in Newcastle with a Success Index of 87.8 out of 100 and an ICSEA of 1181.
How are independent schools in Newcastle ranked?
Each school's Success Index combines five factors from ACARA's 2025 school profile data: ICSEA (50%), share of students in the top socio-educational quarter (15%), students per teacher (15%), five-year enrolment growth (10%) and five-year ICSEA trend (10%). Each factor is a percentile against schools of the same type nationally. Schools with fewer than 80 students are excluded.
How many public schools are in the top 100 independent schools in Newcastle?
0 of the top 11 independent schools in Newcastle are government schools; 11 are Catholic or independent.
Do these rankings include NAPLAN or ATAR results?
Not yet. ACARA does not publish school-level NAPLAN results in bulk, and ATAR results are released by state authorities in different formats. The Success Index uses the measures ACARA publishes for every school so that all schools are compared on identical data. Where a school publishes its own results we link to its website.