Government distance education secondary school (615 students, Years 7–12) in Woolloomooloo, NSW, serving students unable to attend traditional schools.
NAPLAN averaging +27 above national year-level averages; the result is a B overall.
4 HSC Top Achievers — #44 of 240 New South Wales schools.
Sydney Distance Education High School has an overall SchoolRank score of 60.8/100, rated "Good". This score is calculated from academic results, student growth, wellbeing, extracurricular programs, and value for money. Academically, the school scores 66/100, indicating moderate performance relative to other Australian schools. The school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) is 1032, above the national average of 1,000.
In 2025 NAPLAN testing at Sydney Distance Education High School, Year 9 students averaged 596 across the tested NAPLAN domains, above the national average of 569 for that year level. Relative to national year-level averages, the school's strongest domain is Spelling. 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.
Sydney Distance Education High School is a medium-sized government secondary school with approximately 615 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.
Sydney Distance Education 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 70/100 on SchoolRank, which compares educational outcomes relative to cost, government schools typically score well on this measure.
Sydney Distance Education High School has a student-to-teacher ratio of 3.7:1. This is well below the national average of approximately 14:1, meaning students generally receive more individual attention. Support staff make up 13% of the workforce, providing additional learning assistance and pastoral care. The student attendance rate is 76%, which is below the national benchmark.
The Year 12 completion rate is 68%.
Sydney Distance Education High School is located in Woolloomooloo, NSW, classified as a major cities school. With an ICSEA of 1032 (61th 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.