Melville High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Kempsey, New South Wales 2440 · Kempsey LGA
#530 of 539 high schools in NSW
#1432 of 1,472 nationally
About Melville High School
Melville 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 355 students (174 girls and 181 boys).
Melville High School has an ICSEA value of 849, 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 67% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 57 teachers (48.5 full-time equivalent) and 23 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 7.3 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 40% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Melville High School scores 18.0 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 530th of 539 secondary schools in NSW (3rd 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 849
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)2% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)7.3 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-40% enrolments since 2020 (area median +14%)
- ICSEA trend (5 years) (10%)-17 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 Melville High School's 355 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Melville High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Melville High School?
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Schools near Melville High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Kempsey South Public School
Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
129 students · ICSEA 767 · 725 m away
Macleay Vocational College
South Kempsey · Independent special · 9-12
88 students · ICSEA 787 · 906 m away
Kempsey West Public School
West Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
422 students · ICSEA 794 · 1.4 km away
St Joseph's Primary School
West Kempsey · Catholic primary · K-6
332 students · ICSEA 991 · 1.8 km away
Kempsey Adventist School
Kempsey · Independent combined · K-12
458 students · ICSEA 953 · 2.2 km away
Kempsey East Public School
Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
180 students · ICSEA 875 · 2.3 km away
Kempsey High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
584 students · ICSEA 848 · 2.3 km away
St Paul's College
West Kempsey · Catholic high school · 7-12
641 students · ICSEA 999 · 3.3 km away
Green Hill Public School
West Kempsey · Government primary · K-6
19 students · ICSEA 712 · 4.0 km away
Aldavilla Public School
Yarravel · Government primary · K-6
263 students · ICSEA 896 · 5.3 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NSW with a comparable ICSEA.
Chifley College Bidwill Campus
Bidwill · Government high school · 7-12
720 students · ICSEA 849
Gilgandra High School
Gilgandra · Government high school · 7-12
185 students · ICSEA 849
Kempsey High School
Kempsey · Government high school · 7-12
584 students · ICSEA 848
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
Wee Waa High School
Wee Waa · Government high school · 7-12
181 students · ICSEA 853
Frequently asked questions
Is Melville High School a public or private school?
Melville High School is a public (government) school run by the New South Wales education department.
What year levels does Melville High School offer?
Melville High School offers 7 to 12. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Melville High School?
In 2025, Melville High School had 355 enrolled students (174 girls, 181 boys), a change of -40% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Melville High School?
Melville High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 849. 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 Melville High School rank in NSW?
Melville High School ranks 530th of 539 secondary schools in New South Wales on the Success Index (18.0/100), and 1432nd of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Melville High School?
Melville High School has about 7.3 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Melville High School?
In 2025, Melville High School had 71 students in Year 7 and 34 in Year 12.
Is Melville High School co-ed?
Yes. Melville High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Melville High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Melville 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 Melville High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Belmont, about 241 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.