Cairns School of Distance Education serves students across all year levels through flexible home-based and school-based learning, backed by high levels of educational support and individualised curriculum adjustments.
NAPLAN averaging +29 above national year-level averages and growth below the national median; the result is a B overall.
Cairns School of Distance Education serves students across all year levels through flexible home-based and school-based learning, backed by high levels of educational support and individualised curriculum adjustments. Strongly pastoral in character, the school offers guidance officer services and reasonable adjustments for learners who need them. A makerspace room and STEAM activities form part of school life, alongside cultural wellbeing programs that build community among distance learners.
Cairns School of Distance Education is also known as Cairns of Distance Education.
Cairns School of Distance Education has an overall SchoolRank score of 51.4/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 66/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1024, above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Cairns School of Distance Education, Year 5 students averaged 512 across the tested NAPLAN domains, above the national average of 490 for that year level, and Year 7 students averaged 600, well above the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 575, in line with the national average of 569 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Grammar. 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.
Cairns School of Distance Education is a large government combined school with approximately 3,692 students. It offers education for years Prep-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.
Cairns School of Distance Education 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 70/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Cairns School of Distance Education has a student-to-teacher ratio of 22.6:1. This is above the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 23% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 100%, which is strong.
Cairns School of Distance Education is located in Manunda, QLD, classified as a outer regional school. With an ICSEA of 1024 (57th 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.