St Andrew's Cathedral School

What St Andrew's Cathedral School does

St Andrew's Cathedral School (SACS) is an independent, coeducational Anglican K-12 school located in central Sydney (St Andrew's House, 474 Kent Street) with a separate Senior College site at the Bishop Barry Centre on Druitt Street. Founded in 1885 and now in its 140th year, the school serves 1,200+ students across Junior School (K-Year 6), Middle School (Years 7-9), and Senior College (Years 10-12), and operates the award-winning Gawura School as a sub-brand providing tailored Kindergarten to Year 6 education for First Nations students (named Australian School of the Year 2020). The school offers two graduate credential pathways — the NSW Higher School Certificate and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (introduced 2009; IB MYP rolled out to all Year 7-10 students from 2016) — supported by specialised programmes in Gifted Education (including the Project Catalyst mentoring initiative), Learning Support, Performing Arts, Sport, and Outdoor Education.

The school's pedagogical platform is built on a long-term research partnership with Professor John Sweller at UNSW translating cognitive load theory and neuroscience into a K-12 teaching and learning model based on explicit teaching and sequenced learning; this underpins differentiated product features such as the 2024 Learning Skills Programme and the 2022 Explicit Interdisciplinary Writing Approach. Revenue is generated primarily through recurring annual tuition fees (specific amounts are not publicly disclosed and are shared during enrollment), supplemented by tax-deductible donations channelled through the Foundation's Building Fund, Gawura Scholarship Fund, Heath Bursary Fund, and Choristers/CCAPAF. The school is governed as a not-for-profit under Anglican Church oversight via a School Council structure, with a direct-to-consumer go-to-market model that uses a website, virtual tour, open days, Head of School tours, and social channels (Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram) to drive enrollment, including an international student program registered under CRICOS 02276M. The 2025 HSC cohort delivered the strongest results in school history (42% ATAR 90+, 14% ATAR 97+, 70% of scores in Bands 5-6), and the school was ranked #1 in NSW for Secondary School academic progress (Years 7-9) and #4 for Primary progress (Years 3-5) based on NAPLAN 2023-2025 data.

Name

St Andrew's Cathedral School

Legal name

St Andrew's Cathedral School

Website

https://sacs.nsw.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1885

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

St Andrew's Cathedral School is an independent Anglican K-12 school in Sydney CBD, founded 1885, serving 1,200+ students across Junior, Middle, and Senior sub-schools (with the Gawura First Nations sub-brand) via HSC and IB Diploma pathways, funded primarily by tuition fees and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Independent K-12 Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

akta.pro primary industry

Faith-Based (Religious) K–12 Schools (EDAJABAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• K-12 independent education
• Anglican coeducational schooling
• International Baccalaureate programme
• HSC secondary education
• First Nations education

Headquarters

HQ city

Sydney

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. School Fees: The school generates revenue primarily through tuition fees paid by families. Fee information is available through the school's enrollment process website.
2. Scholarship Funding: External scholarships and bursaries support Gawura School and other scholarship recipients, with donations tax-deductible.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

St Andrew's Cathedral School is an independent Anglican coeducational K-12 day school located in the Sydney CBD, educating students from Kindergarten through Year 12. It delivers the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in senior years, and operates the embedded Gawura School for First Nations students in K-6.

Product overview

St Andrew's Cathedral School is a coeducational K-12 independent Christian school in Sydney with a subsidiary school, Gawura School (First Nations K-6). The school offers two graduate credentials (HSC and IB Diploma), supported by specialised programmes in Gifted Education, Learning Support, Performing Arts, Sport, and Outdoor Education. The technology-enhanced curriculum includes Innovation and Enterprise offerings across Junior, Middle, and Senior Schools, with the Senior College providing dedicated pathways for university preparation through either the NSW HSC or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Gawura School: An award-winning 'school within a school' - a unique, highly regarded, coeducational Kindergarten to Year 6 day school for First Nations children who live at home with their families. Named Australian School of the Year in 2020. Located within St Andrew's Cathedral School on Gadigal Land in a purpose-built high-rise building.

Products and services

• Gawura School A K-6 First Nations school embedded within St Andrew's Cathedral School, providing culturally responsive primary education for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
• Junior School (K-6) Coeducational primary education from Kindergarten to Year 6, delivered at the school's Sydney CBD campuses.
• Senior School (Years 7-12) Coeducational secondary education from Year 7 through Year 12, preparing students for the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and/or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme.
• Higher School Certificate (HSC) Programme NSW Higher School Certificate pathway for Year 11 and 12 students.
• International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme Two-year IB Diploma Programme offered alongside the HSC in Years 11 and 12, providing an internationally recognised pre-university qualification.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42% of graduating cohort achieved ATAR over 90 (top 10% in NSW) in 2025
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Tomorrow Man and Tomorrow WomanminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 June 2026External facilitators who delivered the 'Disrupting the Manosphere' parent workshop addressing cultural forces shaping young people's understanding of identity, relationships, and respect.
• AnglicarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 May 2026Long-standing partnership of over 12 years supporting vulnerable members of the community through service, fundraising, and volunteering initiatives. Students performed 'Janet's Song' at Anglicare's annual gala dinner. Partnership includes volunteering at Op Shop warehouses, clothing collections, and fundraising initiatives.
• Hayllar Tour ManagersminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 April 2025Tour management partner for the 2025 European Music Tour to Germany, Czech Republic, Austria, and Hungary, handling logistics for 85 students and 11 staff.
• Rough EdgescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Faith-based not-for-profit organisation supporting people experiencing homelessness and marginalisation in Sydney, affiliated with St John's Anglican Church, Darlinghurst. Annual beneficiary of the Big City Make Off fundraiser that raised $4,364 in 2025.
• UNSW (Professor John Sweller)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership from 2017 onwards exploring how cognitive load theory and neuroscience could better inform classroom practice, resulting in the K-12 teaching and learning model.
• Berlin Cosmopolitan SchoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-led conversations and peer engagement during the 2025 European Music Tour in Berlin.
• Vienna Boys Choir (Erasmus Baumgartner)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoral workshop collaboration with Erasmus Baumgartner of the Vienna Boys Choir during the 2025 European Music Tour in Vienna.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cranbrook School: Premier Sydney CBD-adjacent independent boys' school (with co-ed pre-K and Year 12) offering IB and HSC pathways. Direct competitor for premium Sydney families and a benchmark for academic outcomes, fees, and CBD catchment.
• Sydney Grammar School: Elite Sydney boys' school consistently ranked among Australia's top academic performers. Competes with SACS for the same high-achieving Sydney family segment, though single-sex (boys only).
• The King's School, Parramatta: One of Australia's oldest and largest independent boys' schools (Anglican, founded 1831), offering IB and HSC. Comparable in heritage, faith-based ethos, and full K-12 academic/co-curricular breadth to SACS.
• The Scots College: Long-established Presbyterian boys' school in Sydney with multiple campuses, IB and HSC pathways, and elite sport/co-curricular programs. Direct competitor for premium Sydney families.
• Shore School (Sydney Church of England Grammar School): Anglican GPS school in Sydney's North Shore with K-12 co-ed junior and boys' senior offerings. Comparable to SACS in faith-based ethos, IB availability, and top-tier academic positioning.
• International Grammar School: Coeducational K-12 independent school in Sydney's inner city/Ultimo, with a strong languages and IB focus. Closely comparable to SACS on co-ed, inner-city, IB-offering dimensions, and largely secular.
• SCEGGS Darlinghurst: Inner-city Anglican girls' school in Sydney's CBD fringe. Comparable premium positioning, faith-based ethos, and CBD-adjacent catchment competing for the same family segment.
• Moriah College: Large K-12 Jewish independent school in Sydney's eastern suburbs with IB and HSC. Comparable scale (1,000+ students), faith-based ethos, and dual-credential model to SACS.
• Kambala: Premier Sydney CBD-fringe Anglican girls' school offering HSC and IB Diploma. Direct competitor for premium families in Sydney's eastern/CBD catchment with comparable faith-based positioning.
• Ascham School: Independent girls' day school in Sydney's eastern suburbs, founded 1886, offering IB and HSC. Comparable heritage, inner-Sydney catchment, and dual-credential premium offering to SACS.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/StAndrewsCathedralSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/st-andrews-cathedral-school-sacs
• Instagraminstagram.com/sacssport
• Xx.com/SACS_Official

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about St Andrew's Cathedral School