Balcatta Senior High School is a government co-ed secondary serving students with genuine specialist pathways in visual art, dance, and music.
NAPLAN in line with national year-level averages and solid student growth; the result is a B overall.
Balcatta Senior High School is a government co-ed secondary serving students with genuine specialist pathways in visual art, dance, and music. The Visual Art and Dance programs attract selective entry, while an Academic Extension program supports advanced learners. The school runs a tight-knit, strongly pastoral community with solid support structures including education support and inclusive education frameworks for diverse learners. It suits families seeking focused creative specialisation within a supportive, connected environment.
Balcatta Senior High School is also known as BSHS, Balcatta SHS and BSHS Balcatta.
Balcatta Senior High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 58.6/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 54/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1045, above the national average of 1,000. Notably, the school shows strong student growth over time (63/100), meaning students tend to improve well regardless of their starting point.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Balcatta Senior High School, Year 7 students averaged 528 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 573, in line with the national average of 569 for that year level. National averages are specific to each year level, because NAPLAN scores are scaled so older year levels score higher, a school-wide average can't be compared with a single national figure.
Balcatta Senior High School is a large government secondary school with approximately 1,088 students. It offers education for years 7-12. As a government school, enrolment is generally available to students living within the school's designated catchment zone. Families outside the zone may apply for out-of-area placement subject to availability.
Balcatta Senior High School is a government school, so there are no tuition fees. Families may be asked to contribute to voluntary school fees covering materials, excursions, and activities. The school has a value score of 57/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Balcatta Senior High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 13.7:1. This is around the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 36% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 86%, which is moderate.
Balcatta Senior High School is located in Balcatta, WA, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1045 (66th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is around the national average. ICSEA measures the educational advantage of a school's community, not the school's quality, a lower ICSEA school with strong academic scores may indicate particularly effective teaching.