Derby District High School is a government co-ed school in remote Western Australia with a distinctive pastoral focus and strong community ties.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and growth above the national median; the result is a C overall.
Derby District High School is a government co-ed school in remote Western Australia with a distinctive pastoral focus and strong community ties. The school uses the Berry Street Education Model and delivers on-country learning programs that centre Indigenous perspectives. It partners with Clontarf Foundation and Follow The Dream Polly Farmer Foundation to support engagement and wellbeing, and runs the ShootingStars program. Students benefit from special education needs support and an outdoor, experiential approach to learning. Derby suits families seeking a tight-knit environment where cultural connection and student welfare are paramount.
Derby District High School is also known as DDHS, DDHS Derby and Derby District HS.
Derby District High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 17.6/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 9/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 714, below the national average of 1,000. Notably, the school shows strong student growth over time (74/100), meaning students tend to improve well regardless of their starting point.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Derby District High School, Year 3 students averaged 277 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 375, well below the national average of 490 for that year level, and Year 7 students averaged 419, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 485, 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.
Derby District High School is a medium-sized government combined school with approximately 606 students. It offers education for years K-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.
Derby District 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 9/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Derby District High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.6:1. This is well below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 44% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 58%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 77%.
Derby District High School is located in Derby, WA, classified as a very remote school. With an ICSEA of 714 (1th 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.