John Pirie Secondary School is a government co-ed school in Port Pirie with strong specialist programs in sport, vocational training, and the arts.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a D overall.
John Pirie Secondary School is a government co-ed school in Port Pirie with strong specialist programs in sport, vocational training, and the arts. The South Australian Aboriginal Sports Training Academy and Soccer Academy are distinctive drawcards, alongside dance and performing arts. The school offers vocational education and school-based apprenticeships, plus flexible learning pathways for different learners. Dedicated support services help students with learning difficulties, and the FLIPS Centre provides an alternative learning program. Known for a strongly pastoral environment, the school builds a tight-knit community where students can pursue practical skills, creative expression, and athletic development alongside core academics.
John Pirie Secondary School has an overall SchoolRank score of 29.1/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 32/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 894, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at John Pirie Secondary School, Year 7 students averaged 481 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 504, 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.
John Pirie Secondary School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 691 students. It offers education for years U, 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.
John Pirie Secondary 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 34/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
John Pirie Secondary School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.2:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 38% 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 96%.
John Pirie Secondary School is located in Port Pirie, SA, classified as a outer regional school. With an ICSEA of 894 (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.