Knox Grammar School vs Redlands
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Reviewed by Priscilla Han
Which should you choose?
Both run National, so the difference is inspection rating, boarding, and fees rather than the curriculum itself; Knox Grammar School offers boarding while the other is day-only. The choice comes down to target curriculum, whether you need boarding, and budget — verify fees against each school's own figures.
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.
Questions parents ask
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 →