Adelaide West Special Education Centre vs Dominican School
A head-to-head comparison of two schools in South Australia, 4.2 km apart, using official ACARA 2025 data. Best value in each row is highlighted.
Adelaide West Special Education Centre
Taperoo · Government special · U
79 students · ICSEA 989
Dominican School
Semaphore · Catholic primary · R-6
230 students · ICSEA 1048
| Measure | Adelaide West Special Education Centre Taperoo SA | Dominican School Semaphore SA |
|---|---|---|
| Success Index | – Not rated | 64 Top 50% |
| State rank (type) | – | #100 of 348 |
| National rank (type) | – | #1536 of 4,908 |
| Sector | Government | Catholic |
| Type | Special | Primary |
| Year range | U | R-6 |
| Students | 79 | 230 |
| Girls / boys | 20 / 59 | 108 / 122 |
| Foundation intake | – | 57 |
| Year 7 cohort | – | – |
| Year 12 cohort | – | – |
| VCE median study score VCAA, latest year | – | – |
| VCE study scores 40+ | – | – |
| 5-year enrolment growth | +4% | +20% |
| ICSEA Average 1000 | 989 | 1048 |
| ICSEA percentile | 42th | 68th |
| Top SEA quarter | 17% | 22% |
| Bottom SEA quarter | 38% | 16% |
| Students per teacher | 4.6 | 14.4 |
| Teaching staff (FTE) | 15.6 | 16.0 |
| Non-teaching staff (FTE) | 29.0 | 10.4 |
| Language background other than English | 27% | 7% |
| Indigenous students | 14% | 7% |
| Suburb | Taperoo 5017 | Semaphore 5019 |
| Council area | Port Adelaide Enfield | Port Adelaide Enfield |
| Remoteness | Major Cities | Major Cities |
| Website | www.adwest.sa.edu.au/ | www.dominican.catholic.edu.au |
The verdict
- •Dominican School has the higher ICSEA (1048 vs 989), indicating a more advantaged community.
- •Adelaide West Special Education Centre has fewer students per teacher (4.6 vs 14.4).
- •Dominican School is the larger school with 230 students compared with 79.
- •Dominican School has grown faster over five years (20% vs 4%).
- •Adelaide West Special Education Centre is a government school while Dominican School is a catholic school, so fees and enrolment rules differ.
The Success Index summarises community advantage, resourcing and momentum from ACARA data. It does not measure teaching quality, results or fit. Methodology.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Adelaide West Special Education Centre better than Dominican School?
The two schools are very close on the Success Index. Differences in sector, size, year range and distance from home will matter more than the score.
How far apart are Adelaide West Special Education Centre and Dominican School?
About 4.2 km in a straight line, between Taperoo and Semaphore in South Australia.
Which has the better student-to-teacher ratio?
Adelaide West Special Education Centre has 4.6 students per full-time-equivalent teacher and Dominican School has 14.4.
How do Adelaide West Special Education Centre and Dominican School rank in SA?
Adelaide West Special Education Centre is unranked and Dominican School is 100th of 348 among special schools in South Australia on the 2025 Success Index.