Newington College vs St Andrew's Cathedral School
🇦🇺 Sydney · Side-by-side comparison on verifiable public data.
Neither Newington College 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. Both run the same curriculum (IB, National), so the differences come down to pathway detail, campus culture, and specific language/boarding arrangements rather than the curriculum framework itself. 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
| Newington College | St Andrew's Cathedral School | |
|---|---|---|
| Curriculum | IB / National | IB / National |
| Ages | 3–18 | 5–18 |
| Languages of instruction | English | English |
| Annual fees | AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394 | AUD 26,699–48,137/year (2026, domestic); overseas higher |
| Enrollment | 2,029 | — |
| Boarding | Yes | Day only |
| Accreditations | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School, Cambridge International, AHISA, AAGPS | NESA, CRICOS, IB World School |
Strengths
- ✓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
- ✓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
- !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
- !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
- • 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
- • 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: 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.
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 Newington College or St Andrew's Cathedral School?
Newington College is best for: Internationally-mobile / expat families wanting a globally portable IB Diploma with a local HSC fallback. 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 Newington College and St Andrew's Cathedral School?
Newington College: AUD 27,819–48,141/year (2026, day); boarding +AUD 38,394. 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 Newington College and St Andrew's Cathedral School offer?
Newington College: IB, National. St Andrew's Cathedral School: IB, National.
Do Newington College or St Andrew's Cathedral School offer boarding?
Newington College: offers boarding. 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 →