Kempsey High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Kempsey, New South Wales 2440 · Kempsey LGA
#451 of 539 high schools in NSW
#1234 of 1,472 nationally
About Kempsey High School
Kempsey High School is a public high school located in Kempsey, New South Wales (2440), within the Kempsey local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 584 students (290 girls and 294 boys).
Kempsey High School has an ICSEA value of 848, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 5th percentile of Australian schools. 2% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 66% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 53 teachers (60.7 full-time equivalent) and 21 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 9.5 to 1. Enrolments have grown by 28% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Kempsey High School scores 28.0 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 451st of 539 secondary schools in NSW (2nd of 3 in the Kempsey area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 848
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)2% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)9.5 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)+28% enrolments since 2020 (area median +14%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)+2 ICSEA points since 2020
The Success Index summarises the academic environment of a school community using official ACARA data. It is not a measure of teaching quality or student results. Read the methodology.
Student profile
Distribution of students across socio-educational advantage (SEA) quarters, plus community characteristics.
Enrolments by year level
How Kempsey High School's 584 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Kempsey High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
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Schools near Kempsey High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
St Joseph's Primary School
West Kempsey · Catholic primary · K-6
332 students · ICSEA 991 · 914 m away
St Paul's College
West Kempsey · Catholic high school · 7-12
641 students · ICSEA 999 · 942 m away
Kempsey West Public School
West Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
422 students · ICSEA 794 · 1.0 km away
Melville High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
355 students · ICSEA 849 · 2.3 km away
Green Hill Public School
West Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
19 students · ICSEA 712 · 2.4 km away
Kempsey East Public School
Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
180 students · ICSEA 875 · 2.6 km away
Kempsey South Public School
Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
129 students · ICSEA 767 · 2.9 km away
Macleay Vocational College
South Kempsey · Independent special · 9-12
88 students · ICSEA 787 · 3.2 km away
Aldavilla Public School
Yarravel · Government primary · K-6
263 students · ICSEA 896 · 4.0 km away
Kempsey Adventist School
Kempsey · Independent combined · K-12
458 students · ICSEA 953 · 4.1 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Forbes High School
Forbes · Government high school · 7-12
287 students · ICSEA 848
Bankstown Senior College
Bankstown · Government high school · 9-12
545 students · ICSEA 847
Chifley College Bidwill Campus
Bidwill · Government high school · 7-12
720 students · ICSEA 849
Melville High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
355 students · ICSEA 849
Gilgandra High School
Gilgandra · Government high school · 7-12
185 students · ICSEA 849
Nyngan High School
Nyngan · Government high school · 7-12
144 students · ICSEA 845
Frequently asked questions
Is Kempsey High School a public or private school?
Kempsey High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Kempsey High School offer?
Kempsey High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Kempsey High School?
In 2025, Kempsey High School had 584 enrolled students (290 girls, 294 boys), a change of 28% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Kempsey High School?
Kempsey High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 848. The national average is 1000, so this indicates a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Kempsey High School rank in NSW?
Kempsey High School ranks 451st of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (28.0/100), and 1234th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Kempsey High School?
Kempsey High School has about 9.5 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Kempsey High School?
In 2025, Kempsey High School had 99 students in Year 7 and 44 in Year 12.
Is Kempsey High School co-ed?
Yes. Kempsey High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Kempsey High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Kempsey High School in our database. Scroll up to the "Nearby schools" section to compare them by Success Index, ICSEA and enrolments, or use the Compare tool.
Where can I get tutoring near Kempsey High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Belmont, about 244 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.