Best Primary Schools in South Australia – Curriculum & Learning Programs
Top Primary Schools in SA
South Australia’s education system is divided into three stages – preschool, primary school and secondary school, and tertiary education. The primary and secondary school stage is considered one stage by the SA education system.
- Preschool is not a compulsory stage in South Australia. But, students are recommended to attend preschool and prepare for primary school at that time.
- Students begin their primary schooling at the age of 5 or 6 years. South Australia has well-reputed government schools, independent schools and Catholic schools.
- There are around 605 state government schools, 106 Catholic schools, and 94 independent schools in South Australia.
Eligibility to enrol in primary schools in South Australia
Parents must note that if their child turns 5 before 1 May, the child can start school at the beginning of that year. If their child turns 5 on or after 1 May, the child can start school the following year. The South Australian government has set a compulsory school age of 6 years. By their 6th birthday, children must be enrolled in a primary school.
Top Primary Schools in South Australia 2022
| Rank | School | Total Enrolments in 2021 (Approximate) |
| 1 | Dara School, Park Holme, SA | 60 |
| 2 | St Peter’s Collegiate Girls School, Stonyfell, SA | 760 |
| 3 | St Peter’s College, St Peters, SA | 1480 |
| 4 | Linden Park Primary School, Linden Park, SA | 970 |
| 5 | St Andrew’s School, Walkerville, SA | 450 |
| 6 | Wilderness School, Medindie, SA | 840 |
| 7 | Pembroke School, Kensington Park, SA | 1650 |
| 8 | Rose Park Primary School, Rose Park, SA | 600 |
| 9 | Glen Osmond Primary School, Myrtle Bank, SA | 420 |
| 10 | Prince Alfred College, Kent Town, SA | 1140 |
| 11 | Highgate Primary School, Highgate, SA | 750 |
| 12 | Immanuel Primary School, Novar Gardens, SA | 580 |
| 13 | Parkside Primary School, Parkside, SA | 410 |
| 14 | Richmond Primary School, Keswick, SA | 400 |
| 15 | Seymour College, Glen Osmond, SA | 750 |
| 16 | St Ignatius College, Athelstone, SA | 1380 |
| 17 | Pulteney Grammar School, Adelaide, SA | 890 |
| 18 | Burnside Primary School, Burnside, SA | 810 |
| 19 | Walkerville Primary School, Walkerville, SA | 610 |
| 20 | Walford Anglican School for Girls, Hyde Park, SA | 500 |
| 21 | East Marden Primary School, Campbell Town, SA | 670 |
| 22 | Emmaus Christian College, South Plympton, SA | 870 |
| 23 | Westminster School, Marion, SA | 1110 |
| 24 | St Joseph’s Memorial School, Norwood, SA | 220 |
| 25 | St Joseph’s School, Kingswood, SA | 270 |
*This ranking is based on the NAPLAN results of different primary schools in SA.
South Australian School Curriculum
All schools in South Australia follow the Australian curriculum from Year 1 to Year 10.
There are eight learning areas for primary school students:
- English
- Mathematics
- Science
- Humanities and social sciences – history, geography, economics and business, civics and citizenship
- The arts – dance, drama, music, media arts, visual arts
- Technologies – design and technologies, Digital technologies
- Health and physical education
- Languages
The top primary schools in SA focus on 7 general capabilities that describe the knowledge, skills, behaviours and dispositions that children and young people need to live, learn and work successfully in a changing world.
- Critical and creative thinking
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Information and communication technology capability
- Personal and social capability
- Ethical understanding
- Intercultural understanding
Choosing the Best Primary School in SA for your Child
The first year of schooling is often known as ‘reception’ in South Australia. Sometimes the primary schools only enrol a restricted number of students and hence give preference to students living nearby the school area. Parents can contact primary schools to know more about their enrolment policy. Generally, students attend a primary school that is near their home.
Primary schools that are located at the same sight as a high school
Many parents want to enrol their children in a primary school that is attached to a high school or is located at the same site as the high school to ease the high school admission process. Such primary schools that are located at the same site as the high school are called:
- R-12 schools – reception to year 12
- area schools – public schools located in rural areas
- colleges – not all colleges are R-12 schools
Tips for selecting the best primary school in SA for your child
Parents must understand the admissions process and should decide which school is best for their child only after considering:
The school website: The website of the school helps you understand a few important things about the school, such as the admissions process, facilities available, curriculum taught, and so on.
Visiting the school: Parents can also visit the school to know more about the ethics and learning environment of the school. They can interact with the teachers and ensure that their children will be in safe hands.
Checking school rankings: School rankings help you identify the top primary schools near your home. You can look into those schools and aim to enrol your child in one of them for a better future.
Costs involved in primary education: You must consider the tuition fees and other costs associated with your child’s primary school education. Also consider the transportation costs, if any, and make sure that everything falls under your budget.
Other factors to consider while selecting a primary school in South Australia include:
- Size of the school
- Homework
- Extracurricular activities
- Involvement of parents
- School location and hours
- Personalised attention
- Quality of education
- NAPLAN results of the school
CrunchGrade Provides Complete Support to your Child in Primary School
At Crunch Grade, we have a team of the best primary school tutors from South Australia, willing to help your child attain the best of primary education. To ensure that every primary school student in Australia gets the right support to thrive at school, we focus on the following:
Expert tutors – Our tutors are well-equipped with a primary school curriculum and study resources that will help a child achieve all the learning outcomes. They are highly professional and provide the best learning environment online to students.
Expert guidance – Our tutors not only reinforce whatever a student learns in the classroom but also foster great learning habits in the student. They are like mentors who take care of every aspect of your child’s learning.
Involvement of parents – If you want to be a part of your child’s learning journey, our tutors will welcome you. They will share the monthly progress reports of your child to help you understand their achievements and areas of improvement.
Australian curriculum – Just like all the top primary schools in SA, CrunchGrade tutoring is also based on the Australian Curriculum. Our tutors will teach every concept included in the curriculum.
Innovative teaching – Online learning is not all about listening to pre-recorded lectures. Our face-to-face, live, interactive classes incorporate different learning styles that make learning fun and engaging for young minds.
Find the best tutors from all across Australia – Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, Newcastle, Goldcoast, Canberra, Brisbane.
To make it easier for you to decide, your first session is completely FREE!
Select and book a tutor for Math, Science, English and all the other subjects.