How to Compare Private Schools in Australia: A Practical Guide for Parents
Choosing a private school means weighing accreditation, curriculum delivery, vocational pathways and governance across different states and territories. This guide gives Australian parents a step-by-step framework to evaluate non-government schools confidently, using official resources and a practical checklist for visits and enrolment decisions.
Reviewed 24 July 2026
Understanding Private School Accreditation Requirements by State
In Australia, non-government schools must meet accreditation standards set by their state or territory regulator. Queensland provides a clear example: under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017 and Regulation 2017, schools must satisfy criteria covering governance, financial viability, education program, student welfare, resources and improvement processes. The application carries no fee and the approval process can take up to six months. While each jurisdiction has its own legislation, the Queensland model illustrates the typical domains — governance, finance, curriculum, welfare, facilities and continuous improvement — that parents should verify when comparing schools in any state or territory.
Parents should also recognise that accreditation is not a one-off event. Ongoing compliance monitoring, periodic reviews and mandatory reporting mean that a school's accreditation status reflects its current capacity to meet regulatory expectations. When comparing schools, request the most recent accreditation review report and ask whether any conditions or improvement notices have been issued. This information is often available on the relevant state or territory accreditation register, which provides a transparent view of each school's standing.
Check the relevant state or territory accreditation register for current status.
Confirm the school meets governance and financial viability standards.
Verify that student welfare processes and resources are documented and audited.
Request the most recent accreditation review report and any conditions.
Evaluating Curriculum Delivery: Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 Implementation
The Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 is being rolled out nationally, but each state and territory curriculum authority — including non-government sectors — decides its own timeline and approach for delivery. This means a private school in New South Wales may follow a different implementation schedule than one in Victoria or Western Australia. Independent schools have designated contact points for curriculum queries in every jurisdiction, such as AIS NSW, ISQ in Queensland, AIS SA, IST Tasmania, IS Victoria, AIS ACT, AIS NT and the School Curriculum and Standards Authority in WA. Parents should ask schools which version of the curriculum they are teaching, what professional development teachers have undertaken, and how the school monitors alignment with the mandated standards.
Implementation timelines can vary significantly between sectors and even between schools within the same sector. Some independent schools may adopt Version 9.0 ahead of the mandated timeline to demonstrate curriculum leadership, while others may follow a phased approach aligned with system-wide professional learning. Understanding the school's implementation strategy — including how it manages the transition for students already partway through a learning area — helps parents gauge the coherence and continuity of their child's education.
Ask which version of the Australian Curriculum the school currently delivers.
Request the school's implementation timeline for Version 9.0.
Identify the independent sector curriculum contact for your state or territory.
Inquire about teacher professional development for the new curriculum version.
Assessing Vocational Education and Training (VET) Pathways in Private Schools
Vocational Education and Training (VET) pathways let secondary students gain nationally recognised qualifications while completing their senior certificate. In Western Australia, the VET for Secondary Schools program enables students to undertake Certificate II qualifications as part of the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), underpinned by five critical success factors: leadership and partnerships, student cohort and parent liaison, vision and configuration, flexibility, and course content, structure and evaluation. School-based traineeships — Certificate II and III programs approved by industry — are available to students generally aged 15 and over, giving them the same employment conditions and training responsibilities as other trainees. Teachers delivering VET must meet the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2025, and partnership arrangements ensure compliance and quality management. The Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), representing over 300 independent schools and more than 250,000 students, has highlighted funding disparities where independent school students can face higher fees for TAFE VET courses compared with government school students.
Beyond Western Australia, VET offerings differ across states and territories in terms of qualification levels, industry partnerships and funding models. Some independent schools operate as Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) themselves, while others partner with TAFEs or private RTOs. Parents should clarify whether the school delivers VET on-site or off-site, who the RTO is, and how the school quality-assures the training and assessment. The five critical success factors identified in WA — leadership, student and parent engagement, clear vision, flexibility, and rigorous course evaluation — provide a useful framework for assessing VET quality in any jurisdiction.
Confirm the VET qualifications on offer and their national recognition.
Check whether the school runs school-based traineeships and the minimum age requirement.
Verify that VET teachers meet RTO trainer and assessor standards.
Ask about any additional fees for VET courses delivered through external providers.
Determine whether the school is an RTO or partners with an external provider.
Reviewing School Governance, Financial Viability, and Improvement Processes
Accreditation criteria in Queensland explicitly require schools to demonstrate sound governance, financial viability and systematic improvement processes. These same pillars are relevant nationwide: a governing body with clear accountability, audited financial statements, risk management frameworks, and a documented cycle of self-review and external review. Parents can request the school's annual report, strategic plan and most recent accreditation or registration review report. Look for evidence that the school monitors student outcomes, parent satisfaction and staff development as part of its improvement cycle.
Effective governance structures typically include a mix of independent members with expertise in education, finance, law and risk management, alongside representatives of the school's proprietor or religious institute. Financial viability is not simply about solvency; it encompasses sustainable enrolment planning, capital investment in facilities, and reserves for unexpected costs. Improvement processes should be evidence-based, drawing on student achievement data, stakeholder feedback and benchmarking against similar schools. A school that can articulate its improvement priorities, show progress against previous goals, and link these to resource allocation is demonstrating the maturity that accreditation frameworks seek to assure.
Request the latest annual report and audited financial statements.
Ask for the school's strategic plan and improvement cycle documentation.
Check whether the governing body includes independent members with relevant expertise.
Look for evidence-based improvement targets linked to student outcomes.
Comparing School Types: Independent, Catholic, and Other Non-Government Models
Non-government schools in Australia fall mainly into independent and Catholic sectors, each with distinct governance structures. Independent schools are typically governed by a school board or council and may be affiliated with a religious denomination or operate as secular entities. Catholic schools operate under diocesan or religious institute authority and share system-level policies. Both sectors must meet the same state or territory accreditation requirements, but their funding arrangements, fee-setting autonomy and system support services differ. Understanding the governance model helps parents assess decision-making transparency, fee accountability and access to sector-wide resources such as curriculum support and VET partnerships.
Independent schools often have greater autonomy in curriculum emphasis, staffing and capital projects, while Catholic systemic schools benefit from centralised services such as religious education curriculum, shared professional learning and system-level VET coordination. Some independent schools belong to associations like AHISA or the Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA), which provide advocacy, professional networks and benchmarking data. Catholic education offices in each state and territory offer similar system-wide support. Parents should ask how the school leverages its sector membership for student benefit — for example, access to specialist curriculum advisors, inter-school moderation, or collective VET purchasing arrangements.
Identify whether the school is independent, Catholic or another non-government model.
Understand the governance body and its accountability mechanisms.
Compare sector-level support for curriculum implementation and VET pathways.
Ask how sector membership translates into tangible student benefits.
Using Official Resources: My School, ACARA, and State Education Authorities
Official data sources help parents make evidence-based comparisons. The My School website (managed by ACARA) provides school profiles, NAPLAN results, attendance rates and financial information for all Australian schools. ACARA also publishes the Australian Curriculum and implementation guidance. Each state and territory education authority maintains a register of accredited or registered non-government schools, often with compliance histories. For curriculum-specific queries, the independent sector contacts listed by ACARA — such as AIS NSW, ISQ, AIS SA, IST Tasmania, IS Victoria, AIS ACT, AIS NT and SCSA WA — are authoritative points of contact. Cross-referencing these sources gives a fuller picture than any single brochure or website.
When using My School, parents should look beyond headline NAPLAN scores. Consider the school's ICSEA (Index of Community Socio-Educational Advantage) value, student gain data, attendance trends and the proportion of students in the top and bottom bands. Financial data on My School shows recurrent income per student by source (government, fees, other) and capital expenditure, which can indicate investment in facilities. State accreditation registers may reveal conditions imposed on a school's registration, improvement notices, or the date of the last comprehensive review. the current accreditation expires. Together, these data points enable a more nuanced comparison than marketing materials alone.
Search the school on My School for NAPLAN, attendance and finance data.
Check the state or territory accreditation register for compliance status.
Contact the relevant independent sector curriculum lead for Version 9.0 implementation details.
Review ICSEA, student gain and financial data on My School for context.
Practical Checklist for School Visits and Enrolment Decisions
Use this checklist during open days, tours and interviews to compare schools systematically:
Accreditation & compliance: Confirm current accreditation status and any conditions.
Curriculum: Ask which Australian Curriculum version is taught and the Version 9.0 rollout plan.
VET pathways: List available VET qualifications, school-based traineeship options, and any extra fees.
Improvement processes: Ask how the school evaluates teaching quality and student outcomes. You can also explore private schools, compare, nsw, vic, and qld. You can also explore private schools, compare, nsw, vic, and qld.
Accreditation & compliance: Confirm current accreditation status and any conditions.
Curriculum: Ask which Australian Curriculum version is taught and the Version 9.0 rollout plan.
VET pathways: List available VET qualifications, school-based traineeship options, and any extra fees.
Improvement processes: Ask how the school evaluates teaching quality and student outcomes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What accreditation criteria must a Queensland non-state school meet?
Queensland non-state schools must satisfy criteria covering administration and governance, financial viability, education program, student welfare processes, school resources, and improvement processes under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017 and Regulation 2017.
How long does Queensland non-state school accreditation take and is there a fee?
The accreditation application has no fee and the approval process can take up to six months.
Who decides when Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 is implemented in private schools?
Each state and territory curriculum and school education authority, including non-government sectors, determines the timeline and approach for delivering Version 9.0 in their schools.
Where can I find the independent school curriculum contact for my state or territory?
ACARA lists designated contacts: AIS NSW, ISQ (Queensland), AIS SA, IST Tasmania, IS Victoria, AIS ACT, AIS NT, and SCSA WA. You can also explore private schools, compare, nsw, vic, and qld.
Frequently asked questions
What accreditation criteria must a Queensland non-state school meet?
Queensland non-state schools must satisfy criteria covering administration and governance, financial viability, education program, student welfare processes, school resources, and improvement processes under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017 and Regulation 2017.
How long does Queensland non-state school accreditation take and is there a fee?
The accreditation application has no fee and the approval process can take up to six months.
Who decides when Australian Curriculum Version 9.0 is implemented in private schools?
Each state and territory curriculum and school education authority, including non-government sectors, determines the timeline and approach for delivering Version 9.0 in their schools.
Where can I find the independent school curriculum contact for my state or territory?
ACARA lists designated contacts: AIS NSW, ISQ (Queensland), AIS SA, IST Tasmania, IS Victoria, AIS ACT, AIS NT, and SCSA WA.
What VET pathways are available to secondary students in Western Australian private schools?
Students can undertake nationally recognised VET qualifications (usually Certificate II) through the VET for Secondary Schools program while completing WACE, and school-based traineeships (Certificate II and III) are available for students generally aged 15 and over.
What teacher standards apply to VET delivery in Western Australian schools?
Teachers delivering VET must meet the requirements of trainers and assessors under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2025, with partnership arrangements ensuring compliance and quality management.
What funding disparity has AHISA highlighted for independent school VET students?
AHISA has advocated that independent school students often face higher fees for TAFE VET courses compared with government school students attending the same courses.
Which official resources should I use to compare private schools?
Use the My School website for NAPLAN, attendance and finance data; the relevant state or territory accreditation register for compliance status; and ACARA's independent sector curriculum contacts for Version 9.0 implementation details.
Important information
Fees, entry requirements and policies can change. Confirm current information directly with the school before making a decision.
Sources
Non-state schoolsQueensland non-state schools must meet accreditation criteria covering governance, financial viability, education program, student welfare, resources, and improvement processes under the Education (Accreditation of Non-State Schools) Act 2017 and Regulation 2017.
Non-state schoolsThe Queensland non-state school accreditation application has no fee and the approval process can take up to six months.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Factsheet for studentsVET for Secondary Schools in Western Australia enables students to undertake nationally recognised VET qualifications (usually Certificate II) while completing the Western Australian Certificate of Education (WACE), with five critical success factors: leadership, student cohort and parent liaison, vision and configuration, flexibility, and course content, structure and evaluation.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Factsheet for studentsSchool-based traineeships in Western Australia are Certificate II and III programs approved by industry for students generally at least 15 years old, allowing them to start a traineeship as part of their school program with the same employment conditions and training responsibilities as other trainees.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Factsheet for studentsTeachers delivering VET in Western Australian schools must meet the requirements of trainers and assessors under the Standards for Registered Training Organisations (RTOs) 2025, and partnership arrangements ensure compliance and quality management.
Non-state schoolsQueensland non-state schools receive recurrent funding from the State Government under the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement (2025–2034) and capital assistance for infrastructure.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Factsheet for studentsSchool-based apprenticeships and traineeships in Western Australia require students to be at least 15 years old, enrolled in a government or non-government school, and have a registered training contract with an employer.
School-based apprenticeships and traineeships: Factsheet for studentsSchool-based apprenticeships and traineeships in Western Australia provide credit towards WACE for completed Certificate II or III qualifications, paid work experience, and industry-approved pathways to further study or employment.
Non-state schoolsThe Queensland Non-State Schools Accreditation Board (NSSAB) is an independent statutory body that decides accreditation and government funding eligibility for non-state schools.
Non-state schoolsApproximately 550 non-state schools, including around 50 boarding schools, operate in Queensland.