Nowra High School is a government co-ed secondary with a genuine focus on creative and performing arts.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages and growth below the national median; the result is a D overall.
Nowra High School is a government co-ed secondary with a genuine focus on creative and performing arts. The school runs a dedicated high-potential and gifted education program alongside additional learning support services, making it accessible across the ability spectrum. It's known for strong performing arts and visual arts offerings, including ceramics and photography. The community is described as tight-knit with notably strong pastoral care, which suits families looking for a school where students are known and supported well.
Nowra High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 28.5/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 38/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 944, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Nowra High School, Year 7 students averaged 501 across the tested NAPLAN domains, below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 513, 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.
Nowra High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 777 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.
Nowra 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 40/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Nowra High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 11.6:1. This is below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 24% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 80%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 86%.
Nowra High School is located in Nowra, NSW, classified as a inner regional school. With an ICSEA of 944 (22th 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.