Stella Maris is a Catholic primary school in Shellharbour with a strong pastoral focus and genuine sense of community.
NAPLAN modestly above national year-level averages; the result is a B overall.
Stella Maris is a Catholic primary school in Shellharbour with a strong pastoral focus and genuine sense of community. The beachfront location shapes its character: learning happens both in the classroom and outdoors, with natural spaces central to how the school works. It supports students across a range of learning needs and suits families who value a tight-knit, faith-based environment where experience and outdoor engagement matter.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School is also known as SMCPS, SMCPS Shellharbour and Stella Maris Catholic PS.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School has an overall SchoolRank score of 57.1/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 61/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1050, above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Stella Maris Catholic Primary School, Year 3 students averaged 427 across the tested NAPLAN domains, above the national average of 407 for that year level, and Year 5 students averaged 501, above the national average of 490 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Reading. 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.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School is a small catholic primary school with approximately 405 students. It offers education for years K-6. As a catholic school, enrolment typically involves an application process. Contact the school directly for enrolment criteria, waiting lists, and open day information.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School has approximate annual tuition fees of $2,407. Actual fees may vary by year level, and additional costs for uniforms, camps, and extracurricular activities typically apply. The school's value score is 60/100, which measures academic outcomes relative to the cost of attendance.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 15.5:1. This is around the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning class sizes are typical for Australian schools. Support staff make up 23% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 91%, which is moderate.
Stella Maris Catholic Primary School is located in Shellharbour, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1050 (68th 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.