Private Schools Directory
Private Schools Directory is an Australian web-based directory of all ~3,000 Independent and Catholic schools nationwide. Parents search and shortlist schools; schools self-manage listings and pay annual fees for enhanced Feature Pages.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2006
- HeadquartersElwood, Australia
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What Private Schools Directory does
Private Schools Directory, operated by Future Media Group Pty Ltd, is a web-based online directory covering all ~3,000 Independent and Catholic private schools across Australia. Founded in 2006 by Christina Landis and headquartered in Elwood, Victoria, the platform enables parents to search for schools by location, type, gender, religion, boarding status, special needs, and alternative-education philosophies (Montessori, Steiner) using layered geographic maps with 2/5/10km radius search, a multi-filter school search, and a registered-user My Shortlist feature for cross-visit comparison. The technology stack consists of a searchable school database, school-self-managed profile pages, an interactive mapping layer, and a banner-advertising system.
The company's commercial model is a freemium hybrid. Basic school details and curriculum information are provided free to schools, while schools can purchase an annual Feature Page subscription that unlocks photos, descriptions, announcements, prospectus downloads, school crest display and social links. A secondary revenue stream comes from third-party banner advertising across the site. Schools self-manage their own listings via a web login portal. The directory has effectively saturated its addressable market: 2,984 of approximately 3,000 Australian private schools hold paid Feature Pages. Discounts are offered for schools subscribing across both the Private Schools Directory and its sister site Australian Schools Directory, as well as for groups or multi-campus enrolments.
The business operates with approximately 73 employees and is founder-owned with no disclosed external investors or parent company. Strategic positioning is defensive within a mature, fully-penetrated domestic niche: there is no disclosed M&A, funding activity, geographic expansion, or leadership change, and no AI/ML capability is signaled in the product. Reference partnerships exist with Australian State and Territory Education Departments and Independent Schools Associations for term-date and information linkage, but these are informational rather than commercial.
Private Schools Directory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Private Schools Directory
- Legal name
- Future Media Group Pty Ltd
- Website
- https://privateschoolsdirectory.com.au
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2006
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- Private Schools Directory is an Australian web-based directory of all ~3,000 Independent and Catholic schools nationwide. Parents search and shortlist schools; schools self-manage listings and pay annual fees for enhanced Feature Pages.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Private Schools Directory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education Directory Services
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools (EDAJABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Private Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (Aggregators) (EDAIALAE)
Keywords
Where Private Schools Directory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Elwood
- HQ country
- Australia
- HQ region
- Oceania
Offices1 record
Markets served
Private Schools Directory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- School Feature Page Subscriptions: Schools pay an annual fee to have a Feature Page on the directory. Feature Pages include contact details, school descriptions, photos, announcements, prospectus downloads, and school crest. Schools can update their pages at any time. Discounts available for schools booking Feature Pages on both the Australian Schools Directory and Private Schools Directory, and for groups of schools.
- Banner Advertising: Third-party banner advertisements appear throughout the site, including on school feature pages and category pages.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Annual Feature Page Subscription |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Private Schools Directory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Private Schools Directory is an online directory listing all Australian Independent and Catholic primary and secondary schools, allowing parents to search by location, type, gender, religion, special needs, boarding status, and educational philosophy. The core platform is free for parents; schools pay an annual subscription fee to maintain an enhanced Feature Page with photos, school descriptions, announcements, prospectus downloads, school crest, and curriculum details.
Product overview
Private Schools Directory is a single unified online directory platform for Australian private schools, operated by Future Media Group. The core product is the directory itself, which offers free basic listings of all Catholic and Independent schools in Australia. Schools can enhance their presence through paid Feature Pages (an add-on module) with photos, descriptions, and downloads. The platform also offers curriculum search capabilities, My Shortlist functionality for registered users, and search filtering by location, type, religion, gender, special needs, and boarding options.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Private Schools Directory (Core Platform) An online directory listing all Australian private schools (Independent and Catholic schools) at primary and secondary levels, allowing parents to search for schools by location, type, gender, religion, special needs, boarding status, and educational philosophy. The directory is free for parents to use and includes a free basic school details listing for all schools.
- Feature Pages
Companies that use Private Schools Directory
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Private Schools Directory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Private Schools Directory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.
- Australian State and Territory Education DepartmentsminorThe directory provides links to government education department websites for school term dates and related information. Term dates on the directory are indicative and sourced from government schools.
- Independent Schools AssociationsminorLinks provided to various Independent Schools associations including AISNSW, AISVIC, and others for parents seeking additional information about independent schooling.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Private Schools Directory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- GreatSchools: The largest US K-12 school directory with parent-facing search, school profiles, and a self-service school portal. Highly comparable in business model (free parent search + paid school profiles) and information architecture, though at much larger scale.
- The Good Schools Guide: Established UK directory and review resource for independent (private) schools, combining editorial reviews with searchable profiles. Directly comparable in subject matter (private K-12 schools) though based in a different geography.
- Australian Schools Directory: Sister directory operated by Future Media Group itself, covering Catholic and government schools nationally using the same Feature Page model. It is the closest functional peer and effectively a co-product in the same publisher's portfolio.
- Niche: US K-12 school data and review platform that combines directory listings, parent reviews, and data-driven school rankings. Comparable as a content-rich school comparison destination monetised partly through school-side subscriptions and advertising.
- Private School Review: US private school directory with searchable profiles by location, religion, type and special programs, supported by advertising. A close analogue in scope (private schools only) and information density to Private Schools Directory.
- SchoolDigger: US K-12 school data platform allowing parents to compare schools by location, demographics and test scores. Comparable as a data-led school comparison/directory site with similar SEO-driven parent acquisition.
Broad incumbents
- Domain: Major Australian property portal that embeds school catchment and proximity data into property listings. Competes indirectly for parent attention during the school-selection journey that often coincides with home-buying decisions.
Regional players
- Edarabia: Middle East schools directory with searchable profiles by curriculum and location. Comparable directory model for private/international schools but focused on a different geography.
- WhichSchoolAdvisor: International schools directory covering Asia, Middle East and other regions, with parent reviews and school profiles. Comparable in business model (parent-facing directory + school marketing) but operates outside Australia.
Others
- Schools.au (Australian Independent Schools): Industry body representing Australian Independent Schools; not a direct competitor but an ecosystem stakeholder whose communications and member resources can substitute for some directory utility on the school-marketing side.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Private Schools Directory social profiles
Digital presencePrivate Schools Directory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Private Schools Directory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Private Schools Directory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Private Schools Directory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Private Schools Directory
What does Private Schools Directory do?
Private Schools Directory is an online directory listing all Australian Independent and Catholic primary and secondary schools, allowing parents to search by location, type, gender, religion, special needs, boarding status, and educational philosophy. The core platform is free for parents; schools pay an annual subscription fee to maintain an enhanced Feature Page with photos, school descriptions, announcements, prospectus downloads, school crest, and curriculum details.
Is Private Schools Directory a public or private company?
Private Schools Directory is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Private Schools Directory founded?
Private Schools Directory was founded in 2006. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is Private Schools Directory based?
Private Schools Directory is headquartered in Elwood, Australia, in the Oceania region.
How does Private Schools Directory make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. School Feature Page Subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are banner Advertising.
Who are Private Schools Directory's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are GreatSchools, The Good Schools Guide, Australian Schools Directory, Niche, Private School Review and SchoolDigger. Domain is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are Edarabia and WhichSchoolAdvisor. Schools.au (Australian Independent Schools) is listed as an others.
Does Private Schools Directory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Private Schools Directory.
What industry is Private Schools Directory in?
Private Schools Directory's product category is Education Directory Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJABAA, Nonsectarian Independent Day Schools, with a secondary code of EDAIALAE, Private Student Housing Marketplaces & Booking Platforms (Aggregators). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.