Shoalhaven High School is a government secondary school with a pastoral focus and genuine community feel.
NAPLAN well below national year-level averages; the result is a D overall.
Shoalhaven High School is a government secondary school with a pastoral focus and genuine community feel. The school runs Inspire, a program for gifted students, and offers additional learning support with dedicated wellbeing staff through the Aspire program. Known for lawn bowls and cross country athletics, it suits families wanting a well-rounded school where students are known and supported.
Shoalhaven High School draws students from the Shoalhaven HS (and 1 more zone).
Shoalhaven High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 22.2/100, rated "Below Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 29/100, indicating developing performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 862, below the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Shoalhaven High School, Year 7 students averaged 465 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well below the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 498, 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.
Shoalhaven High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 610 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.
Shoalhaven 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 30/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Shoalhaven High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 9.1:1. This is well 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 70%, which is below the national benchmark.
Shoalhaven High School is located in Nowra, NSW, classified as a inner regional school. With an ICSEA of 862 (6th 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.