Kotara High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Adamstown, New South Wales 2289 · Newcastle LGA
About Kotara High School
Kotara High School is a public high school located in Adamstown, New South Wales (2289), within the Newcastle local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 12 and in 2025 enrolled 1,130 students (512 girls and 618 boys).
Kotara High School has an ICSEA value of 1066, indicating above-average socio-educational advantage. That places it in the 74th percentile of Australian schools. 29% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 14% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 90 teachers (85.5 full-time equivalent) and 19 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 13.2 to 1. Enrolments have remained steady over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Kotara High School scores 67.4 out of 100, placing it in the top 25% of secondary schools nationally and 142nd of 539 secondary schools in NSW (4th of 10 in the Newcastle area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 1066
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)29% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)13.2 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)+0% enrolments since 2020 (area median 0%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)+7 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 Kotara High School's 1,130 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Kotara High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Kotara High School?
Rankings tell you about a school community. A free Success Tutoring assessment tells you about your child: exactly where they are in English and Maths, where the gaps are, and a plan to close them. Small-group, Australian-curriculum tutoring with no lock-in contracts.
- Personalised learning plan mapped to the Australian Curriculum
- English & Maths from Kindergarten to Year 12
- Flexible memberships, no lock-in contracts
- Your nearest centre: Success Tutoring Belmont
Schools near Kotara High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Belair Public School
Adamstown · Government primary · K-6
409 students · ICSEA 1103 · 469 m away
St James' Primary School
Kotara South · Catholic primary · K-6
334 students · ICSEA 1104 · 665 m away
Kotara School
Kotara · Government special · U
25 students · ICSEA 816 · 772 m away
Kotara South Public School
Kotara · Government primary · K-6
309 students · ICSEA 1069 · 1.1 km away
Trinity Catholic College
Adamstown · Catholic high school · 7-11
849 students · ICSEA 1090 · 1.3 km away
New Lambton South Public School
New Lambton · Government primary · K-6
462 students · ICSEA 1095 · 2.0 km away
St Columba's Primary School
Adamstown · Catholic primary · K-6
168 students · ICSEA 1107 · 2.1 km away
Kahibah Public School
Kahibah · Government primary · K-6
291 students · ICSEA 1076 · 2.1 km away
Charlestown Public School
Charlestown · Government primary · K-6
234 students · ICSEA 1037 · 2.2 km away
New Lambton Heights Infants School
New Lambton Heights · Government primary · K-2
55 students · ICSEA 1100 · 2.2 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Rouse Hill High School
Rouse Hill · Government high school · 7-12
1,316 students · ICSEA 1067
Blaxland High School
Blaxland · Government high school · 7-12
998 students · ICSEA 1065
Concord High School
Concord · Government high school · 7-12
1,206 students · ICSEA 1068
Jerrabomberra High School
Jerrabomberra · Government high school · 7-12
333 students · ICSEA 1068
Woolooware High School
Woolooware · Government high school · 7-12
788 students · ICSEA 1063
Northmead Creative and Performing Arts High School
Northmead · Government high school · 7-12
1,239 students · ICSEA 1069
Frequently asked questions
Is Kotara High School a public or private school?
Kotara High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Kotara High School offer?
Kotara High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Kotara High School?
In 2025, Kotara High School had 1,130 enrolled students (512 girls, 618 boys), a change of 0% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Kotara High School?
Kotara High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 1066. The national average is 1000, so this indicates above-average socio-educational advantage. ICSEA reflects the school community, not teaching quality.
How does Kotara High School rank in NSW?
Kotara High School ranks 142nd of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (67.4/100), and 349th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Kotara High School?
Kotara High School has about 13.2 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Kotara High School?
In 2025, Kotara High School had 193 students in Year 7 and 148 in Year 12.
Is Kotara High School co-ed?
Yes. Kotara High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Kotara High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Kotara 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 Kotara High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Belmont, about 9.6 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.