private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Hi, My son is in year 5 this year. There don't seem to be many good public high schools in the area. Which private schools would you recommend?

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Yep. Sydney's north shore and eastern suburbs don't get decent public schools because they are wealthy areas and the public funding goes to schools in Sydney's west even though the people of these areas contribute the most to the public purse. Therefore the people of those areas are pretty much forced to go the private education.

I suspect all the private schools are decent. If not they would go out of business. Barker is nearby Normanhurst.

I guess it all depends on budget. Are you Catholic?

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

When are you arriving?

High school in NSW generally starts in Year 7. So if your child is in Year 5, you can park him/her in the government primary school for Year 6 while you collect information and sort out options. Not a big deal for you to put your child in the government high school at Year 7 for a year and see how that works out and then move them if you want.

Not all private schools are decent. Choose carefully and ask around at work, and see what the neighbours are doing with their kids.

Beoz asked if you are Catholic, because not just do the Catholics have something of a parallel education system here but also because some private schools have wait lists, and if you want in to a particular Catholic private school (or Anglican etc) and there is a wait list, but you are not Catholic (or Anglican etc), guess which way the tie-breaker goes? It can be very common for families to put down deposits to ensure places when their children are in fact in early primary.

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

The reason for asking about Catholic is that it opens up more options. Catholic schools are generally quite prejudice about being Catholic and they will certainly give Catholics priority. The non Catholic schools tend not to care.

Many private schools require enrollment at birth due to popularity. I just heard today of a family who tried to enrol their 4 year old at Newington College for year 7 in 2026 and it's already booked out.

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Re: private high schools near Normanhurst/Thornleigh in Sydney
 

Neither are we but we got our son into a Catholic school to open up opportunities for high school. Luckily it wasn't a full year. I hope they don't expect us to turn up to church on Sundays.