Grafton High School serves students across the full ability range with a strong vocational and pathways focus.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and growth below the national median; the result is a C overall.
Grafton High School serves students across the full ability range with a strong vocational and pathways focus. The school offers school-based apprenticeships, VET programs through TAFE engagement, and structured work experience, making it a good fit for students exploring trades and careers alongside traditional academics. A dedicated learning support unit and individualised planning help students with additional needs, while partially selective classes cater to high-potential learners. The school is known for its pastoral approach and tight-knit community culture.
Grafton High School is also known as Grafton HS and GHS Grafton.
Grafton High School draws students from the Grafton HS (and 1 more zone).
Grafton High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 25.4/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 40/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 941, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Grafton High School, Year 7 students averaged 502 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 522, 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.
Grafton High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 768 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. The school also runs an academically selective stream with test-based entry alongside its local intake.
Partially. Grafton High School runs an academically selective stream with test-based entry alongside its regular local intake. Entry is through the Selective High School Placement Test. The main entry point is Year 7. Applications go through the official state process, and entry cutoff marks are not published.
Grafton 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 42/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Grafton High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.4:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 24% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 78%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 75%.
Grafton High School is located in Grafton, NSW, classified as a inner regional school. With an ICSEA of 941 (21th 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.