Hunter River High School is a government secondary school in Heatherbrae with a strong pastoral culture and genuine commitment to Aboriginal education.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and solid student growth; the result is a C+ overall.
Hunter River High School is a government secondary school in Heatherbrae with a strong pastoral culture and genuine commitment to Aboriginal education. The school runs a P-TECH program in partnership with industry, preparing students for vocational pathways, and offers a gifted education stream (Inspire) for high-potential learners. It has dedicated support units for students needing additional learning help and those in the Aboriginal education program. NAIDOC and Aboriginal cultural activities are woven through school life. Community is tight-knit here, making it a good fit for families wanting both practical skill-building pathways and strong pastoral care.
Hunter River High School is also known as HRHS, Hunter River HS and HRHS Heatherbrae.
Hunter River High School draws students from the Hunter River HS (and 1 more zone).
Hunter River High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 34.8/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 37/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 899, below the national average of 1,000. Notably, the school shows strong student growth over time (66/100), meaning students tend to improve well regardless of their starting point.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Hunter River High School, Year 7 students averaged 490 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 537, 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.
Hunter River High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 762 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.
Hunter River 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 39/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Hunter River High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.3:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 26% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 74%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 72%.
Hunter River High School is located in Heatherbrae, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 899 (10th 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.