Kariong Mountains High School is a government secondary in Mt Penang Parklands with a strong academic culture and integrated STEM and bioscience focus.
NAPLAN 18 points below national year-level averages and solid student growth; the result is a B overall.
Kariong Mountains High School is a government secondary in Mt Penang Parklands with a strong academic culture and integrated STEM and bioscience focus. The school runs a selective Stage 4 academic stream and gifted education program, plus an Educational Pathways Program and vocational offerings for students seeking hands-on training. Pastoral support is woven through the school, with dedicated units for additional learning needs and targeted Aboriginal student support. It suits motivated learners who thrive in structured, academically engaged environments.
Kariong Mountains High School is also known as KMHS, KMHS Kariong and Kariong Mountains HS.
Kariong Mountains High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 51.1/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 46/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 968, slightly 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 Kariong Mountains High School, Year 7 students averaged 520 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 553, 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.
Kariong Mountains High School is a small government secondary school with approximately 420 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.
Kariong Mountains 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 48/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Kariong Mountains High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.7:1. This is well below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 20% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 83%, which is below the national benchmark.
Kariong Mountains High School is located in Kariong, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 968 (32th 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.