Remote government combined school (Prep–12) in Cooktown, QLD; 376 students, highly diverse and Indigenous community.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a C overall.
Cooktown State School is also known as CSS Cooktown.
Cooktown State School draws students from the Cooktown SS (and 2 more zones).
Cooktown State School has an overall SchoolRank score of 21.2/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 23/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 838, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Cooktown State School, Year 3 students averaged 310 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 416, well below the national average of 490 for that year level, and Year 7 students averaged 444, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 481, well below 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.
Cooktown State School is a small government combined school with approximately 376 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.
Cooktown 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 24/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Cooktown State School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.9:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 32% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 73%, which is below the national benchmark.
Cooktown State School is located in Cooktown, QLD, classified as a remote school. With an ICSEA of 838 (4th 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.