International Grammar School vs St Andrew's Cathedral School
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither International Grammar School nor St Andrew's Cathedral School 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.
Key Facts
| International Grammar School | St Andrew's Cathedral School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | National | IB / National |
| Ages | 3–18 | 5–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | not public | AUD 26,699–48,137/year (2026, domestic); overseas higher |
| Boarding | Day only | Day only |
| Accreditations | NESA, AHISA, AIS NSW | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School |
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 — students pick the IB Diploma or HSC, rare and valuable for mobile families
- ✓IB MYP framework across Years 7–10, giving an internationally-coherent middle-school spine
- ✓Strong school-reported 2025 outcomes (IBDP median 37.5; 42% of cohort ATAR >90)
- ✓Exceptional languages and music depth (16 HSC subjects at 100% top-two-band in 2025)
- ✓Distinctive Gawura First Nations school and a stated K–12 First Nations strategy
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
- !No boarding — non-Sydney or overseas families must arrange their own accommodation
- !Total enrolment and class-size data are not publicly published, reducing independent transparency
- !Vertical CBD campus means limited on-site green/playing-field space versus suburban peers
- !IB Diploma carries an extra fee surcharge on top of already-high city tuition; overseas fees plus a AUD 10,000 bond are steep
- !No early-years/preschool and no PYP — entry starts at Kindergarten, so no IB continuum for younger children
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
- • Expat / internationally-mobile families wanting an IB Diploma option inside a top Australian school
- • Families living or working in central Sydney who value a CBD campus
- • Musically or linguistically gifted students
- • Families seeking an Anglican, values-based co-educational environment
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: Class of 2025 — 42% of the combined HSC/IBDP cohort achieved an ATAR over 90; IBDP median score 37.5 (top-10% average ATAR 99.17); HSC median ATAR 84 (top-10% average 97.8). Figures are school-published, not independently verified.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose International Grammar School or St Andrew's Cathedral School?
International Grammar School is best for: Families wanting genuine early multilingualism (a second language from Preschool). St Andrew's Cathedral School is best for: Expat / internationally-mobile families wanting an IB Diploma option inside a top Australian school. 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 St Andrew's Cathedral School?
International Grammar School: not public. St Andrew's Cathedral School: AUD 26,699–48,137/year (2026, domestic); overseas higher. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do International Grammar School and St Andrew's Cathedral School offer?
International Grammar School: National. St Andrew's Cathedral School: IB, National.
Do International Grammar School or St Andrew's Cathedral School offer boarding?
International Grammar School: day school only. St Andrew's Cathedral School: day school only.
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 →