Government primary school with 502 students (Prep–6) in Southbank, Melbourne, serving a highly multicultural community.
NAPLAN well above the national average at every tested year level; the result is an A- overall.
South Melbourne Primary School is also known as SMPS, SMPS Southbank and South Melbourne PS.
South Melbourne Primary School draws students from the South Melbourne Primary School.
South Melbourne Primary School has an overall SchoolRank score of 79/100, rated "Good". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 83/100, indicating strong performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1144, well above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at South Melbourne Primary School, Year 3 students averaged 498 across the tested NAPLAN domains, well above the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 560, well above the national average of 490 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Grammar. 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.
South Melbourne Primary School is a medium-sized government primary school with approximately 502 students. It offers education for years Prep-6. 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.
South Melbourne Primary 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 87/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
South Melbourne Primary School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 12.1:1. This is 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 92%, which is strong.
South Melbourne Primary School is located in Southbank, VIC, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1144 (94th percentile), the school community's socio-educational advantage is above average, families tend to have higher education and income levels. 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.