Education
The King’s School headmaster takes legal action after being dismissed
Tony George is alleged to have clipped the back of a student’s head during a lecture.
- by Christopher Harris
Latest
Enrolment overhaul reveals Sydney’s easiest and hardest schools to get into
Search our list for every public school’s enrolment availability.
- by Christopher Harris
These are the best-scoring HSC subjects for 478 schools
An analysis shows some comprehensives, such as Epping Boys, are getting astonishing results in the most difficult subjects.
- by Christopher Harris and Nigel Gladstone
Exclusive
It looks like you, it sounds like you, it moves like you. And it can get you your degree
Universities and students are grappling with whether online-only degrees can do what they promise, as they face the particular challenges of AI cheating
- by Sally Rawsthorne
‘David v Goliath’: How universities deal with sexual violence is changing
From January 1, universities will be required to do more under far-reaching legislation designed to prevent and improve responses to gender-based violence on campus.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Instead of sending city doctors to rural hospitals, this uni is changing course
Liam Morrissey knows the gap between bush and city access to healthcare. He’s just graduated from the University of Sydney’s medical school in Dubbo, created to bridge it.
- by Siena Fagan
Editorial
Wealthy schools find another money tree
Some Sydney private schools are taking a leaf out of the restaurant trade playbook, charging steep reservation fees.
- The Herald's View
The cost of getting a foot in the door at this Sydney private school hits $9000
Cranbrook, Kambala, Ascham and Scots will all charge enrolment fees of $6000 or more while Queenwood, Wenona and Pymble Ladies’ College have set theirs at about $4000.
- by Christopher Harris
Updated
HSC students receive university offers: Search our database for entry scores
The state’s top school-leavers are looking beyond the traditional prestigious degrees in law and engineering.
- by Craig Butt and Sally Rawsthorne
Exclusive
Luca dreams of becoming a paramedic. He was one of the first on the scene after the Bondi attack
Waiting for his HSC results, Luca Campos Holler dreamt of becoming a paramedic. On December 14, he was flung into a mass-casualty event before his career even began.
- by Emily Kowal
Exclusive
‘You can’t remove swimming from water safety’: New PE material to be reviewed
Support material for NSW’s new PDHPE syllabus will be reviewed after concerns that it would encourage school swimming lessons to run in the dry of a classroom, teaching children to “gallop” but not swim.
- by Julie Power
Opinion
The only asset in The Mandibles that hasn’t lost value
An ironically Shriveresque twist of fate.
These schools cut back on take-home assessments. Their HSC results speak for themselves
These schools punched above their weight in the HSC this year. Here’s how they did it.
- by Emily Kowal and Nigel Gladstone
Revealed: The best public, private and Catholic schools for HSC maths
A systemic Catholic school in the Shire is among those who outperformed top private and selective schools this year.
- by Christopher Harris and Nigel Gladstone
The five-letter formula that saw this school’s HSC English marks soar
North Sydney Girls deputy principal said the perfect-scoring essays turned in by the school’s year 12 cohort shared a common structure.
- by Emily Kowal, Nigel Gladstone and Siena Fagan
Exclusive
Meet every student who got 99.95 in the 2025 HSC
HSC students from four Sydney selective schools have taken out more than half of the top ATAR ranks.
- by Emily Kaine, Ricky Blank and Frances Howe
Opinion
They were no match for the Peloponnesian Air League
A historical theory that’s a bit up in the air.
‘We don’t want to be that traditional selective’: The schools that surged in the 2025 HSC
Some schools jumped more than 100 places in this year’s HSC. See the list of the state’s most improved.
- by Christopher Harris and Nigel Gladstone
HSC results 2025 as it happened: North Sydney Boys tops the state; NSW year 12 students receive ATARs after exam results drop
Tens of thousands of high school graduates are receiving their HSC results and ATARs today. Follow our live coverage as we celebrate the class of 2025.
- by Emily Kaine, Anthony Segaert and Frances Howe
Antisemitism fight to be taken into kinders, schools and universities
A new antisemitism education taskforce, led by eminent expert David Gonski and to include special envoy Jillian Segal, was announced by Prime Minister Anthony Albanese on Thursday.
- by Noel Towell, Jackson Graham and Bridie Smith
Behind every North Sydney Boys HSC student was a plush toy called Don
North Sydney Boys and James Ruse students take us inside their remarkable achievements in this year’s HSC.
- by Emily Kowal and Ellie Busby
Ruby and her mum react to 96.3 ATAR
The St Andrew's Cathedral School student celebrated the results with mum Rebecca on Thursday morning.
‘A big relief’: The class of 2025 receive their HSC results
Oscar Bradfield and Harvey Connolly were among the first students to enter Inner Sydney High School. Now they have their results.
- by Cindy Yin
North Sydney Boys, James Ruse bolt away in HSC rankings
The state’s top two schools have set an extraordinary standard in 2025.
- by Christopher Harris, Nigel Gladstone and Emily Kowal
Incredible moment 2025 HSC students react to their ATAR results
Students across NSW woke up on Thursday to receive their Year 12 results. And this will make you smile.
North Sydney Boys tops the HSC for the third year in a row
Students at North Sydney Boys High School celebrate after learning they had again received the highest proportion of top band results at an assembly on Thursday.
The 2025 HSC honour roll: Every student with a top band listed
Search by student or school to see who received a mark above 90 per cent.
HSC science queen Stacy receives her 99.95
Roseville College student Stacy Zhang topped the state in chemistry and biology to earn a top ATAR rank.
Inner Sydney High School student Oscar Bradfield opens his HSC results
Watch Oscar Bradfield's reaction to opening his HSC results on Thursday, December 18, 2025.
Exclusive
Yao topped HSC English. This is what he wrote
It’s Shakespeare, but not like you have ever encountered it before.
- by Yao Xiao
The top student in every HSC subject revealed
Search the list to see who came first in every subject in the 2025 HSC.
- by Christopher Harris, Nigel Gladstone and Cindy Yin
Opinion
Parents, here’s why you should stop steering your kids away from the humanities
As AI transforms our world it is humanities graduates who can shape its effect on our lives.
- by Julia Kindt
Stacy didn’t think she was a ‘science person’. Today she topped HSC biology and chemistry
Stacy Zhang never liked science and used to spend classes chatting with friends. Now she is the state’s best biology and chemistry student.
- by Emily Kowal
Exclusive
‘Processing error’: University of Sydney sends students’ exam results to cohort
Exam results for various courses from the economics, arts and business faculties were emailed to students along with their genuine results on Wednesday.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
‘I wouldn’t have staked any money’: Abigail shocked by perfect IB score
Some 742 students sat the International Baccalaureate across 21 NSW schools this year. Several have achieved top marks.
- by Sally Rawsthorne
Opinion
Our college dumped the ATAR – because it doesn’t measure anything useful
Students are turning their backs on the ATAR system and pursuing more meaningful subjects.
- by Sam Jacob
Exclusive
Public school students were promised the International Baccalaureate. No school has taken up the offer
The IB was promised to public schools three years ago – so why have no schools accepted the offer?
- by Emily Kowal
These types of schools are becoming harder to find in the HSC rankings
The same 19 selective schools have placed in Herald’s HSC top 100 for the past 20 years. Other public schools have become scarce.
- by Mary Ward
They topped the HSC decades ago. Where are they now?
As HSC students prepare to receive their results this week, we tracked down high achievers of decades gone by – from the Opera House all the way to NASA.
- by Cindy Yin
This island was once a mental asylum. Now, a top Sydney school uses it to improve HSC scores
It’s the secret camp that propelled North Sydney Boys to the top of the HSC rankings last year. This is how its incoming year 12 spent their weekend.
- by Christopher Harris
Meet the HSC student who built an AI model to detect breast cancer
In the middle of her HSC, Michaela Loukas was able to identify malignant tissue with 98 per cent accuracy.
- by Emily Kowal
How the top VCE performers found the formula for success
What students learnt about their strengths and weaknesses as they strived for top marks.
- by Jackson Graham, Nicole Precel and Craig Butt
Private school fees and luxury cars driving surge in bankruptcies
Private schools chasing fees have driven 128 bankruptcy actions since 2021, of which 45 were last financial year.
- by Shane Wright