Sanderson High School
Updated Oct 2026 · ACARA 2025Malak, Northern Territory 0812 · Darwin LGA
About Sanderson High School
Sanderson High School is a public high school located in Malak, Northern Territory (0812), within the Darwin local government area. It caters for students from 7 to 9 and in 2025 enrolled 328 students (155 girls and 173 boys).
Sanderson High School has an ICSEA value of 863, indicating a community facing significant socio-educational disadvantage. That places it in the 6th percentile of Australian schools. 7% of students come from the top socio-educational quarter and 54% from the bottom quarter.
The school employs 31 teachers (29.8 full-time equivalent) and 16 non-teaching staff, giving a student-to-teacher ratio of about 11.0 to 1. Enrolments have fallen by 17% over the past five years.
On the Success Index, Sanderson High School scores 19.4 out of 100, placing it in the lower 50% of secondary schools nationally and 22nd of 23 secondary schools in NT (12th of 12 in the Darwin area).
Success Index breakdown
Each component is a percentile against schools of the same type across Australia.
- Socio-educational advantage (ICSEA) (50%)ICSEA 863
- Students in the top advantage quarter (15%)7% of students
- Teacher resourcing (students per teacher) (15%)11.0 students per teacher
- Enrolment growth vs local area (5 years) (10%)-17% enrolments since 2020 (area median +4%)
- 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 Sanderson High School's 328 students are spread across year levels in 2025.
Enrolment trend
How enrolments at Sanderson High School have changed over the past decade.
Free academic assessment
Is your child on track at Sanderson 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.
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Schools near Sanderson High School
Closest schools by straight-line distance, with their Success Index.
Wulagi Primary School
Wulagi · Government primary · T-6
144 students · ICSEA 890 · 655 m away
Anula Primary School
Anula · Government primary · T-6
388 students · ICSEA 1006 · 670 m away
Malak Primary School
Malak · Government primary · T-6
148 students · ICSEA 770 · 695 m away
Top End School of Flexible Learning
Malak · Government high school · 5-12
123 students · ICSEA 789 · 1.1 km away
O'Loughlin Catholic College
Karama · Catholic high school · 7-12
599 students · ICSEA 1025 · 1.4 km away
Leanyer Primary School
Leanyer · Government primary · T-6
538 students · ICSEA 1024 · 1.5 km away
Holy Family Catholic Primary School
Karama · Catholic primary · T-6
248 students · ICSEA 968 · 1.5 km away
Wagaman Primary School
Wagaman · Government primary · T-6
213 students · ICSEA 944 · 1.8 km away
Moil Primary School
Moil · Government primary · T-6
167 students · ICSEA 970 · 2.0 km away
Karama Primary School
Karama · Government primary · T-6
173 students · ICSEA 769 · 2.0 km away
Similar schools
Government secondary schools in NT with a comparable ICSEA.
Centralian Senior College
Alice Springs · Government high school · 10-12
351 students · ICSEA 879
Palmerston College
Driver · Government high school · 7-12
1,267 students · ICSEA 884
Northern Territory School of Distance Education
The Gardens · Government high school · 9-12
252 students · ICSEA 837
Nhulunbuy High School
Nhulunbuy · Government high school · 7-12
279 students · ICSEA 903
Centralian Middle School
Alice Springs · Government high school · 7-9
338 students · ICSEA 816
Katherine High School
Katherine East · Government high school · 7-12
468 students · ICSEA 797
Frequently asked questions
Is Sanderson High School a public or private school?
Sanderson High School is a public (government) school run by the Northern Territory education department.
What year levels does Sanderson High School offer?
Sanderson High School offers 7 to 9. It is classified by ACARA as a secondary school.
How many students attend Sanderson High School?
In 2025, Sanderson High School had 328 enrolled students (155 girls, 173 boys), a change of -17% over five years.
What is the ICSEA of Sanderson High School?
Sanderson High School has an ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) of 863. 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 Sanderson High School rank in NT?
Sanderson High School ranks 22nd of 23 secondary schools in Northern Territory on the Success Index (19.4/100), and 1417th of 1,472 nationally.
What is the student-to-teacher ratio at Sanderson High School?
Sanderson High School has about 11.0 students per full-time-equivalent teacher, based on 2025 ACARA staffing data.
How big is the Year 7 cohort at Sanderson High School?
In 2025, Sanderson High School had 102 students in Year 7.
Is Sanderson High School co-ed?
Yes. Sanderson High School is a co-educational school enrolling both girls and boys.
What other schools are near Sanderson High School?
There are 10 other schools within 15 km of Sanderson 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 Sanderson High School?
The closest Success Tutoring centre is Success Tutoring Windsor Gardens, about 2619 km from the school. Success Tutoring offers a free academic assessment to identify your child's strengths and learning gaps before any sessions begin.