Lake Illawarra High is a government secondary school that sits at the heart of a tight-knit community.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a C overall.
Lake Illawarra High is a government secondary school that sits at the heart of a tight-knit community. It partners with the Illawarra Academy of STEM Excellence and Clontarf Academy, offering pathways for students keen on science, technology and trades. Gifted students access the Inspire program, while those needing extra support use the Additional Learning Support program and Inclusive Education Centre. Pastoral care runs deep here; the school prioritises relationships and belonging alongside learning.
Lake Illawarra High School is also known as LIHS, Lake Illawarra HS and LIHS Lake Illawarra.
Lake Illawarra High School draws students from the Lake Illawarra HS (and 1 more zone).
Lake Illawarra High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 29.4/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 36/100, 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 Lake Illawarra High School, Year 7 students averaged 495 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 516, 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.
Lake Illawarra High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 542 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.
Lake Illawarra 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 38/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Lake Illawarra High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 10.1:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 25% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 78%, which is below the national benchmark.
Lake Illawarra High School is located in Lake Illawarra, NSW, classified as a major cities 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.