Knox Grammar School vs Redlands
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Knox Grammar School nor Redlands 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: Knox Grammar School 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
| Knox Grammar School | Redlands | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | National | IB / National |
| Ages | 4–18 | 3–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026) | AUD 28,800–47,100/year (2026, domestic); IB elective +AUD 2,950/year |
| Enrollment | 2,900 | — |
| Boarding | Yes | Day only |
| Accreditations | NESA, AHISA, HMC, CAS | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School, Round Square |
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 — students can choose the full IB Diploma or the HSC, a real choice rather than a token offering
- ✓Longest continuous IB provider in NSW (since 1988), signalling depth of institutional IB expertise
- ✓Co-educational K–12 continuity on a single Lower North Shore campus from Preschool to Year 12
- ✓Strong school-reported senior outcomes (top IB ATAR 99.95; 247 top-band results in 2025)
- ✓Distinctive experiential program — Round Square membership, the 9-week Year 9 Moonbah residential, and Year 10 Arnhem Land immersion
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
- !Day school only — no boarding, so families relocating without a resident parent cannot easily place a child here
- !High fees (≈AUD 47,100/yr senior years) plus extras; the IB pathway carries a further AUD 2,950/yr surcharge
- !Total enrolment is not published on the school site, limiting transparency on school size
- !Publishes HSC and IB results combined and discloses no standalone IB Diploma average points score
- !IB is confined to the Diploma (Years 11–12) — no PYP or MYP, so the IB experience doesn't run through the junior/middle years
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 families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma without leaving the mainstream Sydney system
- • Families who value being able to switch between IB and HSC depending on the child
- • Parents seeking co-ed K–12 continuity on one campus on Sydney's Lower North Shore
- • Students drawn to experiential and global-citizenship programs (Round Square, residential immersions)
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: Class of 2025 top IB ATAR 99.95 and top HSC ATAR 99.40; 247 HSC/IB top-band results and 22 students at ATAR 98+ across 158 Year 12 candidates. The school does not publish a standalone IB Diploma average points score.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Should I choose Knox Grammar School or Redlands?
Knox Grammar School is best for: Families wanting a single-sex boys' education on Sydney's Upper North Shore. Redlands is best for: Internationally-mobile families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma without leaving the mainstream Sydney system. 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 Redlands?
Knox Grammar School: AUD 42,640–45,120 (day, 2026). Redlands: AUD 28,800–47,100/year (2026, domestic); IB elective +AUD 2,950/year. Verify against each school's own published fees; some figures are sourced from third-party aggregators.
What curricula do Knox Grammar School and Redlands offer?
Knox Grammar School: National. Redlands: IB, National.
Do Knox Grammar School or Redlands offer boarding?
Knox Grammar School: offers boarding. Redlands: 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 →