Boarding Schools – Sydney NSW

Between fees, location, religious affiliations and scholarship offerings, there’s a lot you will want to know before taking the final step of sending your boy or girl to a boarding school in Sydney, New South Wales. 

That’s why we’ve done the homework for you. Here you will find a comprehensive list of Sydney boarding schools, stretching from the eastern suburbs of Sydney, through to the leafy northern suburbs and some of our oldest boarding schools in the country at Parramatta. 

If you don’t want your child to board right in the heart of Sydney, then there are some great boarding schools on the fringes of Sydney, including Campbelltown and south western Sydney.

Choosing the right boarding school

In Australia, especially in NSW, families are fortunate to have an abundance of quality schools to choose from. When selecting the right one for their children, some of the things to consider include boarding school fees, extra-curricular activities and scholarship offerings. 

Families might narrow down their search by looking for only boys or girls schools, co-ed primary or secondary boarding institutions, or religious schools. It all depends on what works for your family. We made sure to prepare a checklist of things to consider so you have a handy guide when searching for the ideal school your child will love. 

To save families a great deal of time and effort, we’ve created a list of boarding schools in Sydney. Explore our school directory to view all the relevant information about them. There’s a school for your child, whether you live in the heart of Sydney or its outer reaches in regional NSW.

Search Boarding Schools in Sydney

Use our search filter to narrow down your choices and click through to school profiles to discover more about what they offer.

Use our location map of Sydney Boarding Schools to find all the options in your area and to consider a distance that will work for your family.

Boarding Schools Expo – Free Admission

Excited to explore any of these Sydney institutions in person? Then head to our Event pages where you’ll find information on both our in-person and online events.

Advantages of Sydney boarding schools

Academic excellence

In terms of academic quality, these independent schools and selective government high schools have a reputation for being more challenging than some other schools. Often, they focus not only on classroom learning but also on experience-based learning, bridging the gap between the classroom and the real world.

These schools commonly have smaller class sizes to provide students with greater opportunities to interact with teachers and their fellow peers, and at the same time providing great support and encouragement.  These intimate learning environments allow for a higher chance of learning success through building confidence and an overall greater standard of quality education.

Extracurricular activities

Boarding schools are known to be academically more challenging than day schools, though academics are not for every child and boarding school is a great opportunity to pursue all of the child’s interests whilst being an enthusiastic member of the school community. It’s often said that boarders bring the spirit to a school and it’s for this reason so many boarders become involved in everything the boarding school has to offer. The Sydney boarding schools offer a wide range of opportunities for girls and boys to be more active, creative and reach their true potential.

Is your child into sports, music or fine arts? You’ll be happy to know that boarding institutions in Sydney provide choice when it comes to extra-curricular activities, and provide students access to some amazing facilities. If your child is into a particular sport, boarding schools have highly-regarded sporting programmes and compete at state and national competitions.  

Independence

Being away from parents is not easy for any student. For boys and girls who have depended on their parents for most of their young lives, such a big move can feel like a drastic change.  

Beyond this separation, the boarding student will not only develop communication and social skills but also learn the value of mature decision-making, effectively fostering their sense of responsibility and accountability.

While most people start experiencing independence in university, boarding students are essentially one step ahead of the curve, better preparing them for what lies ahead. They have built tolerances for cultural diversity and have learned to live with young people from all walks of life.

Lifelong connections

Boarding school is a space for young people to live and learn together,  to find new friends and form lifelong connections. Being in such a close-knit environment and knowing they’re all going 

through the same challenges and experiences, means that students grow together and form strong, meaningful friendships. They support each other emotionally, academically and on the sporting field !

Global environment

Boarding schools  in Sydney may not be open to all genders (co-ed) and religions (non-denominational), but they are very welcoming of international students. Each school will either be co-ed, boys only or girls only and while many are affiliated with a certain religion there is a great selection that are non-denominational. You can use are search filters to find just the right boarding school for your child.

With boarding schools in Sydney championing a mix of Australian and international students, your child will naturally come to learn the value of cultural diversity.

To help you decide what’s best for your child (and your family) we have developed a checklist of questions to consider.