Sunshine Beach State High School is a co-ed government secondary school known for two distinctive specialisms: a Music Extension program with auditioned entry and a Surfing Excellence program.
NAPLAN in line with national year-level averages; the result is a B overall.
Sunshine Beach State High School is a co-ed government secondary school known for two distinctive specialisms: a Music Extension program with auditioned entry and a Surfing Excellence program. The school emphasises a progressive, inquiry-led approach to learning. It suits families seeking either dedicated music tuition at a secondary level or elite surfing development alongside mainstream curriculum. Both pathways are selective by application or audition.
Sunshine Beach State High School is also known as SBSHS, SBSHS Sunshine Beach and Sunshine Beach State HS.
Sunshine Beach State High School draws students from the Sunshine Beach SHS (and 3 more zones).
Sunshine Beach State High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 50.8/100, rated "Average". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 54/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1043, above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Sunshine Beach State High School, Year 7 students averaged 545 across the tested NAPLAN domains, in line with the national average of 540 for that year level, and Year 9 students averaged 564, in line with the national average of 569 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.
Sunshine Beach State High School is a large government secondary school with approximately 1,405 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.
Sunshine Beach State 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 57/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Sunshine Beach State 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 27% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 84%, which is below the national benchmark.
Sunshine Beach State High School is located in Sunshine Beach, QLD, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1043 (66th 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.