Darwin High School

What Darwin High School does

Darwin High School is an NT Government Independent Public School delivering co-educational secondary education to students in Years 7 through 12, established in 1956 and relocated to its current Bullocky Point site overlooking Darwin Harbour in 1963. The school operates from two campuses — the Atkins Drive campus for Years 10-12 and the Goyder Road campus for Years 7-9 — and awards the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) as its primary credential. Specialized academic programs include the Centre for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, the Secondary Intensive English Unit (SIEU) for ESL learners aged 15-17.5, and a broad curriculum spanning six foreign languages plus vocational education pathways. Technology integration runs through the Compass Education school management platform, a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) program supporting Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Efofex science and mathematics tools.

The institution is government-funded and operated under the Northern Territory Department of Education, with Independent Public School status granted in 2015 providing school-board-level governance autonomy. No tuition fees are charged to domestic students; revenue is derived primarily from NT government operational funding, supplemented by modest voluntary contributions (A$250 suggested per student, nearly A$17,000 raised in 2025), tax-deductible Building Fund donations (A$21,475 in 2025), the NT Government Back-to-School Payment Scheme (A$200 per eligible student), and international fee-paying student tuition routed through the NT Department of Education International Service branch. Marketing and enrollment are catchment-based with priority given to in-area families; out-of-area and international students are enrolled subject to capacity.

The school is positioned for a significant structural change in 2026: an announced merger with Darwin Middle School will create a unified 7-12 institution, with community consultation underway for naming. Recent performance indicators are strong within the NT context — 390 students completed NTCET in 2025, and 5 of the top 20 ATAR results in the Northern Territory were produced at the school. The institution's leadership team is led by Principal Annette Pedersen, supported by a layered cohort of Assistant Principals covering Teaching and Learning, HR/Operations, Wellbeing, year-level cohorts, and specialized programs including SIEU and the Year 12 cohort.

Name

Darwin High School

Legal name

Darwin High School

Website

https://darwinhigh.nt.edu.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Darwin High School is an NT Government Independent Public School in Darwin, Australia, delivering co-educational Years 7-12 secondary education and the NTCET credential, with specialized programs in science, ESL, and international student education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAJAFAD

Standards Alignment & Curriculum Mapping (State/National)

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Curriculum, Instruction & Assessment (School-Delivered)

SECONDARYEDAJAGAE

Accelerated Learning & Grade Advancement Programs

Education/K–12 / Primary & Secondary Education/K–12 Special Programs (Gifted, ESL/ELL, Remedial, RTI/MTSS)

Keywords

• Senior secondary education
• NTCET certification
• International student program
• School education services
• Secondary school curriculum

Headquarters

HQ city

Darwin

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: As an NT Government Independent Public School, the school receives operational funding from the Northern Territory Department of Education to cover core educational services.
2. Voluntary Contributions: Parents are invited to make voluntary contributions of $250 per student to support educational resources and facilities. In 2025, nearly $17,000 was raised through voluntary contributions.
3. Building Fund Donations: Tax-deductible donations to the Building Fund support maintenance and improvements to school facilities. In 2025, $21,475 was raised through Building Fund donations.
4. Back to School Payment Scheme: NT Government initiative providing $200 per eligible student for educational goods and services at the school.
5. International Student Fees: International fee-paying students enrol through the Department of Education and pay tuition fees for their education at the school.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Darwin High School is an NT Government Independent Public School delivering co-educational secondary education for students in Years 7 to 12, with a comprehensive curriculum across Arts, Sciences, Mathematics, Languages, Humanities, Health/PE, and Business/Technology leading to the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET). It runs specialised programs including the Centre for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, the Secondary Intensive English Unit (SIEU) for international and ESL students, vocational education pathways, and a Careers Centre, supported by a school-wide BYOD technology program using Compass, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, and Efofex tools.

Product overview

Darwin High School is an independent public senior secondary school (Years 7-12) established in 1956, offering a comprehensive educational program through the NTCET framework. The school provides a broad curriculum including the Centre for Excellence in Science and Mathematics, the Secondary Intensive English Unit (SIEU) for international students, and specialized Year 10-12 subject pathways. Technology integration includes BYOD support with Compass Education portal, Microsoft Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud, and various curriculum-specific software. The school operates a Careers Centre and offers extensive co-curricular programs in arts, sports, and leadership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET)
• Secondary Intensive English Unit (SIEU)
• Centre for Excellence in Science and Mathematics
• BYOD Program
• Careers Centre
• Years 10-12 Senior Secondary Curriculum
• Years 7-9 Junior Secondary Curriculum

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% NTCET completion rate - 390 students successfully completed NTCET in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Integration4 records

Feature2 records

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kormilda College: Independent Anglican K-12 school in Darwin, providing a direct alternative for families considering private secondary education in the NT. Competes for the same secondary student pool with a different funding model and faith-based curriculum.
• Casuarina Senior College: Government senior secondary school in Darwin, NT, serving Years 10-12 students. Most direct competitor for senior secondary enrollment in the Darwin catchment area, with overlapping NTCET/ATAR offerings and similar public-school funding model.
• Essington International School Darwin: Independent K-12 school in Darwin with international program offerings. Comparable in serving secondary students in the NT market and competing for international fee-paying students in the same geography.
• St John's Catholic College: Catholic secondary college in Darwin serving Years 7-12, offering an alternative faith-based secondary pathway. Competes head-to-head with Darwin High for Catholic and non-Catholic families in the Darwin catchment.
• Darwin Middle School: Government middle school in Darwin for Years 7-9, currently administered under a separate principal but scheduled to merge with Darwin High School in 2026. Operates the same Compass school management system and serves the same collective Darwin Years 7-12 cohort.

Broad incumbents

• Melbourne Grammar School: Leading Australian independent school with strong ATAR outcomes and broad curriculum. Comparable in academic profile and elite secondary positioning, though operating at significantly larger scale and in a different state.
• Cognita Schools: Global K-12 school group operating multiple brands across Australia and internationally. Comparable as an institutional operator of secondary schools with international student programs, though at vastly greater scale and as a private operator.
• Nord Anglia Education: Premium international school group operating across multiple countries including Australia. Comparable in international student focus and STEM specialist programming (e.g., MIT collaboration), though operating as a global private-school chain.
• Haileybury: One of Australia's largest independent K-12 schools with multiple campuses. Comparable as a high-performing Australian secondary provider operating at much greater scale, with sophisticated STEM, international, and specialist programs.

Emerging players

• GEMS Education: Large international school operator with premium K-12 offerings globally. Comparable as an operator of international-oriented secondary schools, particularly relevant to Darwin High's international student program segment.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/darwinhighofficial
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/darwin-hig

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Darwin High School