Knox Grammar School vs Newington College
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Knox 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. Both are day schools with fees in the same market band — see the table below for the figures, and verify against each school's own published fees.
Key Facts
| Knox Grammar School | Newington College | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | National | IB / National |
| Ages | 4–18 | 3–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026) | AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394 |
| Enrollment | 2,900 | 2,029 |
| Boarding | Yes | Yes |
| Accreditations | NESA, AHISA, HMC, CAS | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School, Cambridge International, AHISA, AAGPS |
Strengths
- ✓Strong, publicly reported HSC academic record (2025 median ATAR 89.95)
- ✓Exceptionally broad co-curricular offering — 30+ sports, 70+ activities, 90+ music programmes
- ✓Full boarding provision for boys from Year 7 across three boarding houses (200+ places)
- ✓Large, well-resourced school across three campuses
- ✓Long-established (1924) with strong CAS/AHISA standing
- ✓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
- !Boys-only at primary and secondary — no co-education above early years
- !Uniting Church / Presbyterian faith heritage may not suit secular or other-faith families (a fit consideration, not a judgement)
- !High fees (≈AUD 42,640–45,120/yr day in 2026, boarding extra)
- !No IB Diploma pathway verifiable — HSC only, less internationally portable for mobile expat families
- !Day fees are aggregator-sourced (official schedule is PDF-only); boarding fee not public in plain text
- !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 a single-sex boys' education on Sydney's Upper North Shore
- • Boarding families (domestic regional or expat) needing Year 7+ boarding for boys
- • Students seeking a very broad sport/music/co-curricular programme
- • Families comfortable with a Uniting Church-affiliated school
- • 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: 2025 median ATAR 89.95 (UAC-based). A third-party directory cited a 2024 median ATAR of 92.3. University-destination data is not public. No IB results exist to cite.
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 Knox Grammar School or Newington College?
Knox Grammar School is best for: Families wanting a single-sex boys' education on Sydney's Upper North Shore. 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 Knox Grammar School and Newington College?
Knox Grammar School: AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026). 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 Knox Grammar School and Newington College offer?
Knox Grammar School: National. Newington College: IB, National.
Do Knox Grammar School or Newington College offer boarding?
Knox Grammar School: offers boarding. 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 →