Small government primary school (276 students, K–6) in Cessnock, NSW, serving a diverse community with 30% Indigenous enrolment.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and growth above the national median; the result is a B- overall.
Cessnock Public School is also known as CPS Cessnock.
Cessnock Public School draws students from the Cessnock PS.
Cessnock Public School has an overall SchoolRank score of 42.6/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 33/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 876, below the national average of 1,000. Notably, the school shows strong student growth over time (76/100), meaning students tend to improve well regardless of their starting point.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Cessnock Public School, Year 3 students averaged 366 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 444, 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.
Cessnock Public School is a small government primary school with approximately 276 students. It offers education for years K-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.
Cessnock Public 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 35/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Cessnock Public School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.5:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 27% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 87%, which is moderate.
Cessnock Public School is located in Cessnock, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 876 (7th 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.