Government primary school of 481 students (Prep–6) in Manunda, outer regional Queensland.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a C overall.
Cairns West State School is also known as CWSS and CWSS Manunda.
Cairns West State School draws students from the Cairns West SS.
Cairns West State School has an overall SchoolRank score of 13.7/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 18/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 784, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Cairns West State School, Year 3 students averaged 295 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 403, well below the national average of 490 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.
Cairns West State School is a small government primary school with approximately 481 students. It offers education for years Prep-6. 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 West State 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 19/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Cairns West State School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.5:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 40% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 78%, which is below the national benchmark.
Cairns West State School is located in Manunda, QLD, classified as a outer regional school. With an ICSEA of 784 (2th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is below average, which means the school serves a community with greater socio-educational challenges. 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.