All children and families are different and there’s a lot to think about when you are making a decision about which school is best for your teen. Find out where to get information about different schools in your local area to help make the decision easier for you and your teen.

How to choose a school?

Choosing which school your teen will attend is a big decision for many families. There are practical things to take into account, such as the location of the school, financial considerations, subject offerings and uniform requirements. Your teen’s personality, learning style and areas of interest are also important when choosing which school to attend.

Visit the schools you are considering and talk to school leaders, teachers and other parents. Schools usually offer open days, school visits or other events for prospective students and their families, this is a great way to find out more about the school community and culture, as well as teaching and learning styles.

If you want to find out how your teen’s school or the schools in your local area are going compared to other schools with similar students, the My School website can help.

What’s on the My School website?

The My School website has lots of information about schools in Australia—with key stats and information about each school, as well as results from the National Assessment Program—Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN).

On My School, you can search for schools by location, sector or name. You can find out about each school’s student population, staff numbers, achievement of students in NAPLAN, an indication of student progress over time, as well other useful information, such as attendance rates for each school.

Each school has a profile page that includes:

• a short description of the school
• school facts including information about school sector, type and total enrolments
• numbers of teaching and non-teaching staff
• school financial information
• a link to the school’s website
• information about the backgrounds of students at the school
• student enrolments and attendance (including Indigenous student attendance)
• and lots more!

You can use My School to:

• view a school’s performance on a variety of areas including NAPLAN
• understand key details about your school
• compare your teenager’s school against other schools with similar students
• view a list of up to 20 schools that are within 80 kilometres of your teen’s school—and even see where they are on a map
• be informed—and use this information to talk to your teen’s school and teachers about the school’s performance and your child’s learning.

Find out more about My School (including information in 21 community languages).