North Shore School Expo: How to find the right school for your child (quickly)

Sydney’s biggest Independent Schools Expo is back with more schools than ever. Featuring the most prestigious schools in Sydney, Canberra and regional NSW, this free event brings all your favourite schools together — in one convenient location.

North Shore families have access to perhaps the highest concentration of top schools to be found anywhere in Australia. These schools are not only excellent but also diverse, featuring a range of philosophies and teaching styles.

With so many good but very different options, choosing the right school can be a difficult and time-consuming decision for parents. Fortunately, the North Shore Schools Expo is here to help.

What is the North Shore Schools Expo?

This educational bonanza we are facing is a blessing, but choosing schools is no easy task. At the North Shore School Expo, parents can meet face-to-face with staff and students from many of Sydney’s leading private schools, including single sex, coed, boarding, Montessori, Steiner, faith-based and secular schools from pre-school to Year 12 — all in one convenient location.

With so many excellent schools involved, parents can gain a deep understanding of the top-tier educational marketplace and the benefits these schools can offer their child.

Independent schools are not a one-size-fits-all proposition though. They are stand-alone entities, each with a distinct educational approach and emphasis. To help find the best fit for your child’s learning style, families are encouraged to engage deeply with participating schools to get a clear sense of their strengths and expectations.

What works for one child may not be the best choice for another. The ideal educational environment can differ markedly, even between siblings, and may change as a child matures.

How to ask the right questions

Many parents look to independent schooling to foster traditional values in children, such as self-discipline, integrity and respect for themselves and others. A good education is expected to produce confident, grounded adults well-prepared for life after graduation with the skills to achieve their full potential.

There are many aspects to consider when searching for a school where your child will flourish. Some important factors include:

What is the school’s focus?
In what areas does it excel?
What are the school’s values?
Can it accommodate your child’s aptitudes and needs?
Is its social atmosphere suited to your child’s temperament?
How does the school support students to achieve their full potential?

Beyond academic ability, many parents look to independent schools to impart leadership and life skills, such as self-discipline, initiative and integrity, to set children up for lasting success.

A well-rounded education encompasses more than coursework. It is a full-spectrum personal development project. Independent schools nurture students’ emotional intelligence as well as their intellects to produce confident, resilient adults well-prepared for life after graduation.

Above all, parents want their children to enjoy school. To feel a sense of belonging and social ease among like-minded friends in a safe and caring school community.

Every child is unique. Here is your opportunity to find the school to which your child is uniquely suited.

Schools at the North Shore Schools Expo

Arden Anglican School — Anglican co-ed day school, Prep to Year 12
Aspect Vern Barnett School — Autism spectrum support, Kindergarten to Year 10
Brigidine College St Ives — Catholic girls’ day school, Year 7-12
Canberra Girls Grammar School — Anglican girls’ school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
Canberra Grammar School — Anglican co-ed school, Kindergarten to Year 12, Boarding
Covenant Christian School — Christian co-ed day school, Prep to Year 12
Cranbrook School — Anglican boys’ school (co-ed from 2026), Prep to Year 12, Boarding
Glenaeon Rudolf Steiner School — Co-ed day school in the Steiner tradition, Prep to Year 12
Highfields Preparatory and Kindergarten School — Christian co-ed school, Prep to Year 2
Kinross Wolaroi School — Orange-based Uniting Church co-ed school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
Loreto – Normanhurst — Catholic girls’ school, Year 5-12, Boarding
Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College — Catholic girls’ day school, Year 7-12
Newington College — Non-religious boys’ GPS school, Kindergarten to Year 12, Boarding
Northside Montessori School — Montessori co-ed day school, Prep to Year 8
Oxford Falls Grammar School — Christian co-ed day school, Kindergarten to Year 12
Queenwood School — Non-religious girls’ day school, Kindergarten to Year 12
Ravenswood School for Girls — Uniting Church girls’ school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
Redlands School — Non-religious co-ed day school, Prep to Year 12
Roseville College — Anglican girls’ day school, Kindergarten to Year 12
Scots All Saints College — Bathurst-based Presbyterian co-ed school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
St Andrew’s Cathedral School — Anglican co-ed day school, Kindergarten to Year 12
St Ignatius College, Riverview — Catholic boys’ GPS school, Year 5-12, Boarding
St Joseph’s College — Catholic boys’ GPS school, Year 7-12, Boarding
Sydney Japanese International School — Co-ed Japanese-English bilingual day school, Kindergarten to Year 9
The Hills Grammar School – Non religious Co-ed Day School Prep – Year 12
The International Grammar School — Non-religious co-ed day school, Prep to Year 12
The Kings School — Christian boys’ GPS school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
The Pittwater House Schools — Non-religious co-ed day school, Prep to Year 12
The Scots College — Presbyterian boy’s GPS school, Prep to Year 12, Boarding
Wenona School — Non-religious girls’ school, Kindergarten to Year 12, Boarding