Founded in 1885, St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a coeducational, independent Anglican school, located in the heart of Sydney’s CBD. Reflecting our Christian foundations, we are a strong and hopeful learning community that nurtures the individual strengths of each student in our care. 

With a long history – we were originally founded as a choral school in 1885 – we are known for our outstanding performing arts program with 25 music ensembles, including our outstanding Cathedral choristers. We offer extensive sporting and co-curricular opportunities that include many of the usual activities, as well as fencing, Ultimate Frisbee, Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, Squash, Theatresports, dance and drama. Students also have fabulous outdoor education experiences lead by our own team of outdoor educators, based at our property, Kirrikee, in the NSW Southern Highlands.

As an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, our Middle School students are taught the NSW school curriculum through the IB Middle Years framework and Senior College students can choose to study either the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC) or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.

We are the quintessential city school, located in two high-rise buildings in the centre of Sydney’s CBD, enriching our curriculum with city experiences, all on our doorstep. Our buildings are purposefully designed, light-filled learning spaces for Junior School, Middle School and the dedicated pre-tertiary environment for Senior College.

Our school within a school, Gawura, is a highly regarded model, noted for its innovative approach to a First Nations-led education within a mainstream system and was named 2020 Australian School of the Year. As the School of the Year judges observed, Gawura is a “lighthouse program in Indigenous education with wonderful, almost unheard-of outcomes”.

Our teachers are experts in their chosen fields who very much enjoy the relational nature of teaching and who engage in the character development of each child, both within and outside the classroom. They are also passionate about developing their practice and benefit from a progressive professional learning program. Many of our teachers are invited to present at state and national educational conferences and professional associations, and as an educational leader, we hold conferences, host international experts and encourage thought leadership.

The school takes advantage of its central city location to provide students with a rich diversity of external excursions and curriculum-based student experiences to complement conventional classroom teaching and learning, and provide practical, resourceful outcomes for all pupils. The school also has a challenging and rewarding outdoor education program, which students commence in Kindergarten. The program utilises the school’s 90-hectare Kirrikee site in the Southern Highlands. In the secondary school, students can join one of many expeditions offered – hiking from Mount Kosciuszko to Bass Strait, canoeing along the Murray River, mountain biking in New Zealand and back-country skiing and snow camping. Every year, a variety of international tours are offered by various faculties. 

Music and Performing Arts

St Andrew’s Cathedral School has long been a leader within the independent school sector in performing arts. From our beginnings in 1885 as a choir school, we have a proud history of music education. Music is central to the life of our school. While the Cathedral Choir has a reputation for developing quality vocalists, the school has also played a major role in the development of professional concert musicians and actors.

We offer state-of-the-art classrooms and specialist instrumental teaching areas, practice rooms for ensemble rehearsals and individual lessons as well as dedicated drama and performance spaces and a Black Box Theatre. The dedicated Fairfax Music Room and Chapter House are other impressive performance spaces utilised by students.

Our city location also opens up a world of performance possibilities in world class venues. This ranges from performances in the beautiful surrounds of St Andrew’s Cathedral or Sydney Town Hall, professional quality productions at City Recital Hall Angel Place, the Concourse Theatre, or NIDA Parade Theatre and recitals in our newly renovated Chapter House, or carols in the Queen Victoria Building. 

Our focus is on bringing our students into a community bound to excellence. We know the importance of strong relationships – the support of a devoted and expert mentor is essential in any successful music program – and our teachers and tutors have the perfect balance of outstanding educational qualifications as well as professional experience as performers.

Our teaching team across performing arts draws upon professional performance careers, technical knowledge of performing arts, and backgrounds in a range of subject specific specialisations, such as conducting, instrumental and vocal pedagogy, ethnomusicology, improvisation, theatre production and musical theatre.

Visit Performing Arts - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Sport

Our focus on character and the holistic development of students means we offer a wide variety of sports and sporting competitions throughout the year. Students of all sporting abilities are welcome and encouraged to strive for excellence. We want all participants, across all ability levels, to develop and improve their sporting skills and sport specific fitness.

Our secondary school is a member of the Independent Sporting Association for inter-school competitions and the Winter Sport Program is compulsory for all students in Years 7 to 11.

We are very supportive of students who excel in a sport not offered as part of the St Andrew’s sports program. Students can apply to be supported to pursue pathways to school, regional, state and national representation in these other sports.

Visit Sport - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Specialist development coaches

We employ highly skilled coaching staff, many of whom have had distinguished sporting careers themselves. We have specialist development coaches in football, fencing, basketball, hockey, netball and rugby.

Our head coaches are supported by a talented pool of staff, many of whom are highly trained in coaching or have performed at the highest level of sport.

Our Athlete and Team Development Manager oversees the individual and team skill and strength development of all students at the school, working closely with our highly experienced strength and conditioning coaches, PDHPE staff, coaching staff and our students, to develop training programs and drills that will improve health and performance.

Visit How our students learn - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au) and Our people - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Outdoor Education

The Outdoor Education program at St Andrew’s Cathedral School is one of the largest and most comprehensive of any school in NSW. The school has its own Outdoor Education Department and owns an Outdoor Education centre called Kirrikee, in the Southern Highlands.

Unlike most schools, we do not outsource outdoor education to professional providers. Rather we have our own permanent and highly skilled outdoor educators who run a consecutive and longitudinal program, where each year builds on skills attained in previous years and where the same staff work with students and their personal growth, often over a decade.

The school’s outdoor education program is physically and mentally challenging, focused on building community and character, particularly persistence, self-control, resilience and courage. Camp is a great opportunity to discover more about ourselves, others, and the wonders of creation.

The sequential program runs from Kindergarten through to Year 10, culminating in students being offered a variety of trips including a range of hikes in NSW and beyond, mountain biking, sea kayaking and a 20-day “Kosi-to-Coast” expedition from Mt Kosciuszko to Bass Strait.

Visit Outdoor Education - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Co-curricular activities

Whether it’s on the sporting field, in music and performing arts, debating and public speaking, overseas tours or our many clubs, our teaching and learning doesn’t end in the classroom. Our extensive co-curricular program challenges and stretches our students to follow their passions and develop both expertise and character. 

There are more than 25 music and drama ensembles at the school, along with an impressive variety of sporting opportunities and a comprehensive outdoor education program, based at the school's rural Southern Highlands property. Each year, the school offers a number of international tours, providing educational opportunities in sport, community service, music, drama, languages, history, science or art.

Our focus is on bringing students into a community bound to excellence. We know the importance of strong relationships, and our teachers, coaches and tutors work alongside our students as skilled and supportive mentors. Co-curricular activities also build character, teaching our students courage, self-control and persistence: how to compromise, how to negotiate, how to work in a team, how to lead, how to problem solve, as well as how to win with humility or lose with dignity. This sort of grit and resilience is essential both in and out of the classroom, and for life itself.

Our House competitions and activities also play a major role in the pastoral and co-curricular life of students at the school. Whether it be the Bake Off cupcake competition to raise money for charity, the Athletics Carnival or the debating competition, fun is an essential element in the diverse number of House activities offered throughout the year.

Visit Beyond the classroom - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Character education equips young people to grow in wisdom and hope, so they can use their developing knowledge and expertise in ways that positively impact society. We teach character both explicitly and implicitly through habits and routines, role-modelling, service opportunities, leadership and relationships. The development of character is fundamental to our pursuit of academic excellence and is also at the heart of our teaching and pastoral care approach, taught in tutor groups and in classes across the school_, as a part of our structured wellbeing program. 

As an IB World School, approaches to learning skills (ATL) and IB learning dispositions have been incorporated into the school’s character strengths, backed by research and Christian perspectives.

Visit How our students learn - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au) 

Our School - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au) 

What makes us different? - St Andrew's Cathedral School (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

International Baccalaureate

St Andrew's Cathedral School is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, accredited to deliver the Middle Years Programme (Years 7-10) and the IB Diploma Programme, as well as the NSW Higher School Certificate.

The IB Diploma Programme was introduced in 2009 to further expand the academic choice available to our Year 11 and 12 Senior College students. Building real-world connections, it offers a broad range of subjects aimed at preparing students for tertiary study, with a focus on research and self-directed learning. University tracking suggests that IB Diploma students are very well prepared for university and tend to flourish.

For more info, visit Making the choice – IB/HSC – Senior College 10-12 (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

Visit Outstanding results – Senior College 10-12 (sacs.nsw.edu.au)

St Andrew's Cathedral School is centrally located in the heart of Sydney's CBD, with a myriad of transport options from every suburb of Sydney. Town Hall train station is located less than five minutes' walk from the school's entrance.

St Andrew's Cathedral School offers a number of academic and music scholarships, from Year 4 up to Year 12. We also offer a number of Indigenous scholarships at Gawura, our First Nations primary school.

Scholarships are awarded dependent on the results of the ACER Scholarship examination, and an interview with the School Registrar. For Australian and International students.

Music Scholarships are available to students entering Years 4, 5 and/or 6 and Years 7 to 11 to strengthen the already vibrant music program in the school. Music scholarships are open to all instruments including: strings (including harp), woodwind, brass, piano (classical or jazz), singing (classical or contemporary), percussion (drum kit and auxiliary percussion) and composition.

For more information, visit our Scholarships offered at St Andrew's Cathedral School.

Our Year 12 academic results in 2022 were our strongest ever, with particularly strong candidature in our IB Diploma program. 

Across our HSC result snad IB Diploma results, our 2022 cohort achieved the following ATARs:

24% Achieved an ATAR of 95 or higher (Top 5% of ATARs available in NSW)

For more information on our academic results, visit: https://www.sacs.nsw.edu.au/senior/about-us/our-results/

“My son has grown in confidence so much since he joined your school, it’s like he is just more himself – we love it."

– Year 7 parent, 2023

“I love that there is no mould. Each student is encouraged to be a better version of themselves and that is exactly what has happened for my two children."

– Year 7 parent, 2023

St Andrew’s Cathedral School is a learning community that has all the attributes that you would expect from a leading independent school: top class academic results; a broad, challenging, well-crafted curriculum; a world-class music program; a wide sport and co-curricular offering including a uniquely exciting outdoor education program; exceptionally well-qualified teaching staff and well-equipped facilities.

Yet, to only say those things, or to even dwell on them too much wouldn’t give you true insight into what St Andrew’s is, or how your child (and your family) would be shaped by joining us.

St Andrew’s is a community that passionately believes that your child matters. That is its starting point. Students don’t only matter if or when they win a prize or when they make the school look good. They matter.

Because they matter, we give them a sense of belonging in a vibrant, diverse community, where everyone is valued.

Because they matter, we help them understand how much progress they have made from their own starting point, rather than merely judging attainment.

Because they matter, we enable them to find their unique passion for the long term, a contribution to the world that only they can make.

Because they matter, we give them the opportunity to do hard things, so that they hone the best character they can, to take them the distance they need to go.

Because they matter, we take time to celebrate each step of their journey.

One Year 12 student recently said, “St Andrew’s is a unique school because just about everything about it is unique.” He’s right. Come and see for yourself.

Dr Julie McGonigle
Head of St Andrew's Cathedral School

Overseas students are warmly welcomed at the School. All international students must meet the School's minimum standard for English.

For more information and fee schedule, visit our Overseas students application at St Andrew's Cathedral School.