International Grammar School
🇦🇺 Sydney · Founded 1984 · National · Ages 3–18
A genuinely internationally-minded, secular, co-educational independent school in inner-city Sydney whose true distinction is its compulsory multilingual programme from Preschool. Note: despite the name, IGS is an HSC school — no public evidence it offers the IB Diploma — so its 'international' character is linguistic and cultural, not curricular.
Curricula
National
Age range
3–18
Languages of instruction
English
Boarding
No (day school)
Accreditations
NESA, AHISA, AIS NSW
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
International Grammar School (IGS) opened in 1984 and is now at 4–8 Kelly Street, Ultimo, on Gadigal land moments from Sydney's CBD. It describes itself as 'a unique independent, coeducational, secular school' serving early learning, primary and high school students through to Year 12 (Preschool to Year 12). Its motto is 'Concordia per Diversitatem' — 'Unity Through Diversity.'
The school's signature feature is bilingual/multilingual education from the earliest years. A second language is compulsory for all students from Preschool to Year 10, delivered through bilingual partial immersion from Preschool through Year 6 (selected curriculum units taught in the second language). Second languages offered are Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian and Japanese; all students begin a third language (Spanish or Mandarin) in Year 7, and languages can be studied to Year 12.
For senior schooling, IGS offers NSW Education Standards Authority courses for the Higher School Certificate (HSC). No IB Diploma offering appears anywhere on the official site, in its sitemap, or on Wikipedia — so this profile treats IGS as HSC-only (the 'International' in its name reflects its multilingual, multicultural ethos, not an IB curriculum). The 2024 HSC results were strong: top ATAR 98.75; 11.6% of the cohort scored ATAR ≥95; 29.4% ≥90; 66 Distinguished Achievers; and First-in-State results in Spanish Extension and German Beginners.
Australia has no graded national inspectorate, so the tier reflects accreditation + curriculum depth — capped at A.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
NESA state registration plus AHISA / AIS NSW affiliations, and strong publicly-reported HSC results. Australia has no graded national inspectorate, so the tier reflects accreditation + curriculum depth — A.
Strengths & Trade-offs
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
- Established 1984 with a durable 'Unity Through Diversity' multicultural ethos
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
Is It Right For You?
Best 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
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families specifically seeking an IB Diploma (not offered — HSC only)
- ✕Those wanting a faith-based education
- ✕Families needing boarding (it is a day school)
- ✕Families requiring confirmed EAL/EALD provision (not public)
Curriculum
Senior credential is the NSW HSC (NESA-developed courses) — no public evidence of an IB Diploma offering. The defining feature is the compulsory second language from Preschool (bilingual partial immersion Preschool–Year 6) plus a compulsory third language from Year 7. Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Italian, Japanese; Spanish/Mandarin as third languages.
Fees
Annual tuition for Preschool–Year 12 is published only via downloadable 2026 fee-schedule PDFs on the enrolment/fees page; specific AUD figures are not in page text and could not be verified. Overseas-student fees available on request.
Admissions
Enrolment via the official enrolment/apply pages; scholarships offered including an IGS Indigenous Scholarship Fund. International-student intake supported (overseas fees on request). Specific entry criteria not fully detailed publicly.
Campus Life
Ultimo campus (Kelly Street and Mountain Street), inner Sydney; STEAM and creative/performing-arts programmes; international exchange programmes (Years 9–11) with France, Germany, Italy, Spain, China and Japan.
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.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- IGS official homepage · 2026-06
- IGS — High School (HSC offering, languages) · 2026-06
- IGS — Languages (second language from Preschool, partial immersion) · 2026-06
- IGS — HSC Highlights 2024 · 2026-06
- Wikipedia — International Grammar School · 2026-06
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