Cardiff High is a government secondary school with a strong pastoral culture and tight-knit community feel.
NAPLAN 14 points below national year-level averages; the result is a C overall.
Cardiff High is a government secondary school with a strong pastoral culture and tight-knit community feel. The school supports a wide range of learners through specialist programs: the Resilience Project and SOAR Learning Centre help students manage wellbeing and learning needs, while Inspire caters to high-potential and gifted students. A dedicated Support Unit and additional learning support ensure tailored help across the ability range. Cardiff is known for its sport program and attracts families seeking a school where community connection and student wellbeing sit at the centre.
Cardiff High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 47.9/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 50/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 986, slightly below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Cardiff High School, Year 7 students averaged 521 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 560, 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.
Cardiff High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 778 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.
Cardiff 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 53/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Cardiff High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.8:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 22% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 82%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 69%.
Cardiff High School is located in Cardiff, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 986 (40th 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.