International Grammar School vs Newington College
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither International Grammar School nor Newington College sits in a market with a public inspectorate, so both are assessed on verifiable accreditation, curriculum authorisation, and published data rather than an official quality rating. One practical difference: Newington College offers boarding while the other is day-only — decisive for families who need a residential option. Verify current fees against each school's own figures (see the table below).
Key Facts
| International Grammar School | Newington College | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | National | IB / National |
| Ages | 3–18 | 3–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | not public | AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394 |
| Enrollment | — | 2,029 |
| Boarding | Day only | Yes |
| Accreditations | NESA, AHISA, AIS NSW | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School, Cambridge International, AHISA, AAGPS |
Strengths
- ✓Compulsory second language from Preschool with partial-immersion bilingual delivery to Year 6 — rare depth for an Australian day school
- ✓Five second-language options plus a compulsory third language from Year 7; languages continuable to HSC level
- ✓Strong, publicly published HSC outcomes (top ATAR 98.75; ~30% of cohort ATAR ≥90 in 2024) including First-in-State language results
- ✓Secular and co-educational — a deliberate non-denominational alternative
- ✓Inner-city Ultimo location moments from Sydney CBD; Preschool–Year 12 continuity
- ✓Genuine dual senior pathway: HSC and IB Diploma, plus Cambridge accreditation — rare flexibility for mobile families
- ✓Strong school-reported 2025 results on both tracks (IB median 40/45; HSC 68% top-two-band, 3 first-in-state)
- ✓IB World School since 2007 — an established DP track record, not a recent bolt-on
- ✓Boarding available, supporting interstate, regional and international enrolment
- ✓Founding AAGPS member with deep co-curricular, sporting and rowing infrastructure across multiple campuses
Trade-offs
- !Does NOT offer the IB Diploma despite the 'International' name — senior pathway is HSC only (verified across the official site)
- !No current public enrolment figure verifiable (most recent data is ~1,100–1,200 from 2007 via Wikipedia)
- !Published fees not extractable — only downloadable 2026 PDF schedules; overseas-student fees 'available upon request'
- !EAL/EALD support not stated on public pages (cannot confirm)
- !Inner-city site implies limited green/sporting space versus suburban grammar schools
- !Co-education is partial and phased to 2033 — year-group gender mix is uncertain for several years
- !IB authorization is DP only; no public evidence of PYP/MYP, so younger years are not IB-continuum
- !Fees are high (secondary ~AUD 44k–48k in 2026; boarding adds ~AUD 38k) and rise with year level
- !No graded external inspection exists in Australia — quality signals rely on school-reported results
- !Exact IB cohort size and pass rate are not published, limiting full transparency on the IB track
Best Fit For
- • Families wanting genuine early multilingualism (a second language from Preschool)
- • Secular, co-ed seekers wanting a non-denominational alternative
- • CBD-proximate inner-Sydney families
- • HSC-pathway students wanting strong language outcomes
- • Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with a local HSC fallback
- • Boarding families (interstate, regional NSW, or overseas)
- • Academically ambitious students seeking a competitive, results-driven GPS environment
- • Families wanting K–12 continuity from early learning onward
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: 2024 HSC top ATAR 98.75; ~11.6% ≥95, ~29.4% ≥90; 66 Distinguished Achievers; First-in-State in Spanish Extension and German Beginners.
School-reported, unverified: 2025 IB median 40/45 (≈97 ATAR equiv.) and HSC results with 3 first-in-state and 108 Distinguished Achievers suggest strong university placement, but Newington does not publish a destinations list — treat university-outcome claims as unverified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose International Grammar School or Newington College?
International Grammar School is best for: Families wanting genuine early multilingualism (a second language from Preschool). Newington College is best for: Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with a local HSC fallback. The right choice depends on target curriculum, budget, and family priorities — the two are not linearly comparable.
How do fees compare between International Grammar School and Newington College?
International Grammar School: not public. Newington College: AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do International Grammar School and Newington College offer?
International Grammar School: National. Newington College: IB, National.
Do International Grammar School or Newington College offer boarding?
International Grammar School: day school only. Newington College: offers boarding.
This comparison is BrightKey's independent assessment using verifiable public data only. University-placement figures are school-reported and not independently verified. BrightKey takes no payments from schools. Our method →