Cairns schools and childcare
Cairns has affordable childcare, great state schools and quality private school tuition at a fraction of the cost of capital cities.
Cairns has a mix of 56 state schools, independent and non-government schools affiliated with Catholic Education, Anglican and Lutheran faiths, and Associated Christian Schools, as well as therapy centres, special education and distance education.
Among this list are two new schools that have been approved for the area. Newman Catholic College campus is onsite at James Cook University and will take its first students in 2022.
Within Cairns, families have many education choices
- 21 private/ non government schools
- 25 state primary schools
- 10 state high schools.
*image credit: Award Recipients from the Business Liaison Association 2020 Aspire Awards Presentation Night
Alternative schooling models are available within a half-hour of Cairns city in nearby Kuranda at the Steiner school, and the School of Distance Education has a base in Cairns.
Cairns is a perfect place to raise a family, study, upskill, or ‘pivot’ ... as they say.
No matter your address in Cairns, you will have a choice of schools within a short drive or walk. And in Cairns, children do walk, ride or scoot to school. With less traffic, trusted neighbours keeping a watch and a feeling that Cairns kids are safe, it's usual for Cairns footpaths to be filled with school children mornings and afternoons.
We have two universities and a complete range of quality educational facilities, from the earliest childcare to the most specialised research doctorate supervision.
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Affordable childcare in Cairns
Cairns has more than 100 registered childcare centres throughout the region. Daily rates in Cairns are as much as $60 a day less expensive than centres in major capital cities.
Childcare in Cairns is more affordable, comparatively, to most cities. It is less expensive that the average daily cost of childcare Australia-wide.
Compared with central Sydney, Cairns parents are paying an average of $60 less a day for childcare.
More than 100 providers offer childcare services in the Cairns region from care for 6-week-olds to after-school-hours care for older children.
Average cost per day:
- Cairns - $101.65
- Australia - $111.98
- Brisbane – $134.61
- Sydney - $165.55
- Melbourne - $153.80
(source: CareforKids)
Great state schools in Cairns
The Cairns region is serviced by 25 state primary, high schools and colleges.
Government schools in Cairns operate under catchment management plans. This means students are guaranteed a place at the state school nearest them. Families can still apply for enrolment at a state school in a different area.
Most primary schools throughout Cairns have fewer than 1000 students, although some of the inner suburban schools such as Freshwater State School and Edge Hill State School have larger capacity and enrolments. These schools their own mini-communities: places where families make lifelong connections and local groups and clubs hold events and regluar classes.
Most State High Schools offer excellence programs by application in the arts, sport and STEM.
The focus varies from school to school; some state high schools invest heavily in a particular sporting code, an instrumental music or choral program, drama or engineering and technology. Others offer complementary trade courses with training organisations.
In some Cairns High school, students can learn to scuba dive in senior schooling, or take aquatic practices subjects that prepare students for a career in marine or fishing industries.
The table below lists the bigger State schools in the region (greater than 100 students). Several smaller country schools with multi-age classrooms can also be found in the Cairns region within an hour of the city. These small schools are listed underneath the table.
| State Primary Schools only | State High School only | State Prep to year 12 Schools and Colleges |
|---|---|---|
| Balaclava SS | Cairns SHS | Babinda SS |
| Cairns West SS | Trinity Bay SHS | Bentley Park College |
| Caravonica SS | Gordonvale SHS | Cairns School of Distance Education |
| Edge Hill SS | Smithfield SHS | Cairns State Special School |
| Gordonvale SS | Woree SHS | Redlynch State College |
| Hambledon SS | ||
| Isabella SS | ||
| Gordonvale SS | ||
| Machans Beach SS | ||
| Parramatta Park SS | Small state primary schools with multi-age classrooms | |
| Trinity Beach SS | Aloomba SS | |
| White Rock SS | Bellenden Ker SS | |
| Whitfield SS | Bartle Frere SS | |
| Woree SS | McDonnell Creek SS | |
| Yorkeys Knob SS | Mirriwinni SS |
The Schools Directory, maintained by Education Queensland, lists all schools and education centres in Queensland – both government and non-government schools.
Education Queensland’s schools catchment map is the best resource to find out more about state school catchments in Cairns suburb you have your eye on.
Affordable, quality private schooling in Cairns
The highest annual fees and levies you will pay for a Cairns independent or private school in 2021 is $9000 a year (not including uniforms).
Cairns has a wide variety of private and non-government school, including
- 16 Catholic Schools and Colleges
- Single-sex Catholic high schools with boarding - St Augustine's College for boys and St Monica's College for girls, both in the city
- Freshwater Christian College
- Trinity Anglican School, with campuses in Kewarra Beach and White Rock
- Peace Lutheran College in Kamerunga
- Cairns Hinterland Steiner (a P-12 school in Kuranda, less than 30 minutes drive from Cairns)
- Cape York Partnership Djarragun College, a P-12 College in Gordonvale, with a student body primarily communities in Cape York and the Torres Strait Islands.
Two new Catholic schools have been approved or are in development - one to the north of the city and one to the south.
The region also has colleges and schools that focus on education and opportunity for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
Annual private school fees in Cairns
- Primary schools - $1500 to $4990+ uniforms
- High school - $2700 to $8990 plus uniforms
