Katoomba High is a government secondary school with a strong emphasis on creative and performing arts.
NAPLAN in line with national year-level averages; the result is a B- overall.
Katoomba High is a government secondary school with a strong emphasis on creative and performing arts. The school runs an Inspire program for high-potential and gifted students, and maintains dedicated wellbeing and learning support units. Known for its Creative and Performing Arts Showcase, Katoomba fosters a tight-knit, pastoral community. It suits families seeking a co-educational school where arts involvement is valued and wellbeing support is prioritised.
Katoomba High School is also known as Katoomba HS and KHS Katoomba.
Katoomba High School draws students from the Katoomba HS (and 1 more zone).
Katoomba High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 47.6/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 52/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1034, above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Katoomba High School, Year 7 students averaged 528 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 562, in line with 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.
Katoomba High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 862 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.
Katoomba 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 55/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Katoomba High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.9:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 22% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 81%, which is below the national benchmark.
Katoomba High School is located in Katoomba, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1034 (61th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is around the national average. 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.