Best Schools in the Redlands: Top 5 State Primary, Top 3 State High and Top Private Schools, with Fees
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
The best schools in the Redlands on 2025 academic results are Thornlands State School (94) among state primary schools, Cleveland District State High School (87) among state high schools, and Ormiston College (100 for Years 7–10) and Sheldon College (99) among private schools.[1][2] Published private school fees for one child run from $3,268 a year for Year 1 at St Anthony’s in Alexandra Hills to $19,412 for Year 10 at Ormiston College.[3][4]
This guide covers the mainland Redland City Council area in one place: the top 5 state primary schools, the top 3 state high schools, and the top private schools (three colleges and the leading Prep to Year 6 schools), with each private school’s fees.
Key takeaways
- Thornlands (94) and Mount Cotton (92) lead the Redlands’ state primary schools on 2025 results, and Cleveland District (87) leads the state high schools.[1][2]
- Ormiston College scores 100, the top of Better Education’s scale, for Years 7–10, ahead of Sheldon College (99) and Redlands College (95).[2]
- Among Prep to Year 6 private schools, Star of the Sea at Cleveland leads on 93, and St Anthony’s and St Mary MacKillop share second place on 91.[1]
- Thornlands, Mount Cotton and Ormiston state schools, and Cleveland District and Alexandra Hills state high schools, run enrolment management plans, so your address decides your place.[5]
- Year 1 costs $3,268 to $3,652 at the three Catholic primary schools and $8,256 to $14,702 at the three colleges.[3][6][7][8]
What are the top 5 state primary schools in the Redlands?
On Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score, the top 5 state primary schools on the Redlands mainland are Thornlands (94), Mount Cotton (92), Ormiston and Wellington Point (89 each) and Hilliard (88).[1] Schools on the same score share a rank (marked =). The last column shows whether the school is on the Department of Education’s enrolment management plan (EMP) list of 1 October 2026.[5]
| Rank | State primary school | Suburb | 2025 score | EMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thornlands State School | Thornlands | 94 | Yes |
| 2 | Mount Cotton State School | Mount Cotton | 92 | Yes |
| =3 | Ormiston State School | Ormiston | 89 | Yes |
| =3 | Wellington Point State School | Wellington Point | 89 | No |
| 5 | Hilliard State School | Alexandra Hills | 88 | No |
Next come Cleveland and Vienna Woods state schools (86) and Birkdale and Birkdale South (85).[1] Thornlands State School’s plan caps Prep at 125 children in five classes unless more local children enrol,[9] and Ormiston State School’s caps it at 75 in three.[10]
What are the top 3 state high schools in the Redlands?
On 2025 results for Years 7–10, the top 3 state high schools in the Redlands are Cleveland District (87), Wellington Point (80) and Alexandra Hills (79).[2]
| Rank | State high school | Suburb | 2025 score | EMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland District State High School | Cleveland | 87 | Yes |
| 2 | Wellington Point State High School | Wellington Point | 80 | No |
| 3 | Alexandra Hills State High School | Alexandra Hills | 79 | Yes |
Victoria Point State High School and Capalaba State College follow on 77.[2] Cleveland District’s plan sets a capacity of 2,253 students and lists four Programs of Excellence, with places in sports development (football, volleyball and touch), creative arts, languages and academic extension, and English extension.[11] Alexandra Hills lists a STEM Academy, Sports Excellence and Rugby League Development.[12] A Program of Excellence can take students from outside the catchment, but only once local demand is met.[13]
Ormiston College (100), Sheldon College (99) and Redlands College (95) lead the Redlands’ private colleges on 2025 results for Years 7–10, and Star of the Sea Primary School at Cleveland (93) leads the private Prep to Year 6 schools.[2][1] St Anthony’s and St Mary MacKillop share second place among those on 91, so both are listed. Fees are for one child, from each school’s own schedule.
| Private school | Suburb | 2025 score | Year 1 | Year 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ormiston College (Prep–12)[4] | Ormiston | 100 (Years 7–10) | $14,620 (2026) | $19,412 (2026) |
| Sheldon College (Prep–12)[8] | Sheldon | 99 (Years 7–10) | $14,702 (2026) | $18,996 (2026) |
| Redlands College (Prep–12)[7] | Wellington Point | 95 (Years 7–10) | $8,256 (2027) | $12,200 (2027) |
| Star of the Sea Primary School (Prep–6)[6] | Cleveland | 93 (primary) | $3,652 (2026) | – |
| St Anthony’s School (Prep–6)[3] | Alexandra Hills | 91 (primary) | $3,268 (2026) | – |
| St Mary MacKillop Primary School (Prep–6)[14] | Birkdale | 91 (primary) | $3,588 (2026) | – |
Ormiston College and Sheldon College also score 100 and 99 on primary results.[1] Next among the colleges are Carmel College at Thornlands (87) and Faith Lutheran College at Victoria Point (85), and next among the Prep to Year 6 schools are St Luke’s at Capalaba (90) and St Rita’s at Victoria Point (89).[2][1]
Each figure adds tuition to every compulsory recurring charge the school lists for that year, counting family levies once, and leaves out one-off enrolment fees, deposits, optional programs, uniforms, transport, voluntary donations and discounts.
- Ormiston College: tuition (which covers the laptop program and local excursions) and the compulsory $300-a-term capital levy. Camps are billed when they are held, so add them.[4]
- Sheldon College: term fees, which include Middle and Senior College camps and sundry levies, plus a resource levy of $394 for Year 1 and $156 for Year 10 in the school’s fee calculator.[8]
- Redlands College: one fee that includes compulsory camps and excursions, most sport, the music programs and student accident insurance; its 2027 fees are already out.[7]
- The three Catholic primary schools: tuition, the family capital and parent levies, and resource or technology levies. Camps in the upper primary years are charged on top.[6][3][14]
In this list the Catholic schools cost least: Year 1 at the three Catholic primary schools costs $3,268 to $3,652, against $8,256 at Redlands College and about $14,600 to $14,700 at Ormiston and Sheldon.[3][6][7][4][8] Most schools discount tuition for younger siblings and for paying the year up front, so a family with two or more children pays less per child.
We ranked the schools on the Redlands mainland by Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score, and checked every score, enrolment plan and fee schedule on 8 November 2026.[1][2] The state schools are the Queensland Government’s 2026 school sites that the Department of Education’s records place in Redland City: 15 primary schools, including the new Scenic Shores State School at Redland Bay, Capalaba State College (Prep to Year 12) and four state high schools.[15][16] The island schools at Dunwich, Macleay Island and Russell Island are not ranked here.
The private schools are the 10 mainstream non-government schools in the council area, leaving out the Australian Industry Trade College and The Sycamore School, an autism school.[16] The score rates English and maths results from 60 to 100, and Years 7–10 for secondary schools.[17] Each college is ranked on Years 7–10 and each Prep to Year 6 school on primary results. A score measures results, not everything a school does, and Better Education itself says its ratings are not advice for buying a property.[1] ACARA, which runs NAPLAN, has long discouraged league tables built from its data,[18] so read each school’s My School profile and visit.[19]
Every Queensland state school has a catchment, the area its core intake must live in, drawn by road distance to the school’s main entrance; check any address on EdMap.[20][21] A catchment is enforced only where the school runs an EMP,[22] which a school must adopt once it reaches 80% of capacity and keeps growing. Under an EMP, children from outside the catchment get a place only if there is room, although siblings of current students are entitled to enrol.[13]
To prove your address at an EMP school you need a current lease, a rates notice or an unconditional contract of sale, plus a utility bill in the parent’s name, and the child must be living in the catchment when you apply.[13] So a contract still subject to finance does not count: settle and move in first. Private schools have no catchments and run their own enrolment and waiting lists.[20]
The top schools cluster in four parts of the Redlands. These are descriptions, not recommendations, and a nearby school is not the same as a home in its catchment.
- Thornlands, Cleveland and Ormiston: Thornlands State School (1st), Ormiston State School (=3rd), Cleveland District State High School (1st), Ormiston College and Star of the Sea. See our Thornlands, Cleveland and Ormiston reports.
- Wellington Point and Birkdale: Wellington Point State School (=3rd) and State High School (2nd), Redlands College and St Mary MacKillop. See Wellington Point and Birkdale.
- Alexandra Hills: Hilliard State School (5th), Alexandra Hills State High School (3rd) and St Anthony’s. See Alexandra Hills.
- Mount Cotton and Sheldon: Mount Cotton State School (2nd) and Sheldon College. See Mount Cotton and Sheldon.
For prices and rents, see our Redlands property market guide, our guide to buying in the Redlands and the full set of Redland City suburb reports.
Buying for a school often means upsizing, buying before you sell, or private school fees on top of the mortgage. Talk to a mortgage broker before you shortlist homes, so pre-approval reflects what you will really spend each year. These are the mortgage brokers we work with:
Finance support
Ryan Leahy, Finance Broker, Moreton Bay Finance Broker
Email ryan@mbfb.com.au · Phone 0468 396 086
moretonbayfinancebroker.com.au
Credit Representative Number 489568, authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328
Finance support
Daniel Fynch, Mortgage Broker, Moreton Bay Finance Broker
Available evenings and weekends.
Phone 0478 706 468
Credit Representative Number 577009, authorised under Australian Credit Licence Number 389328
Finance support
Kyle Downey, Principal Broker, High Point Finance, Caboolture
Email kyle@highpointfinance.com.au · Phone 0493 010 111
highpointfinance.com.au
This section is general information, not credit advice; speak with a licensed credit professional about your own borrowing.
A buyer’s agent can build the school into the brief: check the catchment and EMP of every shortlisted address, or the drive to a private school at school times, negotiate the price and conditions, and time the contract and settlement around the enrolment date. We bought a family home in The Gap for clients who wanted one of Brisbane’s top-performing state high school catchments (read The Gap story).
IPS Buyer’s Agents works only for buyers, across South East Queensland. Tim Allen has personally inspected and negotiated every one of the 128 properties IPS has bought since 2023. IPS is an REIQ Accredited Agency (see Tim’s REIQ member profile).
Thornlands and Mount Cotton lead the Redlands’ state primary schools, Cleveland District leads the state high schools, and Ormiston College, Sheldon College and Redlands College lead the private colleges on 2025 results. Check EdMap and the EMP list for state schools, compare what each private fee includes, and time the move around the enrolment date.
This article is general information only, current at November 2026. It is not legal, financial or tax advice and does not consider your circumstances. School scores, fees, enrolment management plans and catchments change, so confirm your child’s eligibility and current fees with each school, and check the rules for your purchase with your solicitor or conveyancer before you act.
Buying in the Redlands with a school in mind? Tell us the school and your budget, and we will shortlist homes that suit it.
- Better Education — QLD Suburb Ratings by Primary School Results (2025 school scores, by suburb)
- Better Education — QLD Suburb Ratings by Secondary School Results (2025 school scores, by suburb)
- St Anthony’s Catholic Primary School, Alexandra Hills — School Fees 2026
- Ormiston College — School fees (Schedule of Fees 2026)
- Department of Education — School enrolment management plans (schools with an EMP, last updated 1 October 2026)
- Star of the Sea Primary School, Cleveland — 2026 School Fees and Levies Schedule
- Redlands College — Fees (2026 and 2027 fee structures)
- Sheldon College — College Fees 2026 and fee calculator
- Department of Education — Thornlands State School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 3 September 2026)
- Department of Education — Ormiston State School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 22 January 2026)
- Department of Education — Cleveland District State High School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 22 January 2026)
- Department of Education — Alexandra Hills State High School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 22 January 2026)
- Department of Education — School Enrolment Management Plans (School EMPs) procedure, version 7.5
- St Mary MacKillop School, Birkdale — School Fee Schedule for 2026
- Queensland Government Open Data Portal — Queensland state schools—geographic information (primary, junior and senior secondary sites, 2026)
- Queensland Government Open Data Portal — State and non-state school details (local government area of each school)
- Better Education — Please explain the column State Overall Score in school rating
- ACARA — ACARA Update, December 2025 (open letter on school league tables)
- ACARA — My School
- Queensland Government — School catchment areas (last updated 17 June 2026)
- Queensland Government Statistician’s Office — EdMap, Queensland state school catchment maps
- Queensland Government — State school catchments: frequently asked questions (Word document)
What is the best state primary school in the Redlands?
On Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score, Thornlands State School ranks first among the Redlands’ mainland state primary schools with 94, ahead of Mount Cotton State School (92), Ormiston and Wellington Point state schools (89 each) and Hilliard State School (88). The score reflects English and maths results only, so read each school’s My School profile and visit.
What is the best state high school in the Redlands?
Cleveland District State High School ranks first among the Redlands’ state high schools with a 2025 score of 87 for Years 7–10, ahead of Wellington Point (80) and Alexandra Hills (79). Its enrolment management plan sets a capacity of 2,253 students and lists four Programs of Excellence, in sport, creative arts, languages and English extension.
What is the best private school in the Redlands?
Ormiston College scores 100, the top of Better Education’s scale, for Years 7–10 in 2025, ahead of Sheldon College (99) and Redlands College (95). Among Prep to Year 6 private schools, Star of the Sea Primary School at Cleveland leads on 93, ahead of St Anthony’s at Alexandra Hills and St Mary MacKillop at Birkdale (91 each).
How much are private school fees in the Redlands?
For one child, published Year 1 fees at the top private schools run from $3,268 a year at St Anthony’s to $14,702 at Sheldon College, and Year 10 fees from $12,200 at Redlands College (2027) to $19,412 at Ormiston College (2026). Each figure includes compulsory levies; Ormiston College bills camps separately.
Which top Redlands state schools have an enrolment management plan?
On the Department of Education’s list of 1 October 2026, Thornlands, Mount Cotton and Ormiston state schools and Cleveland District and Alexandra Hills state high schools have enrolment management plans, so their catchments are enforced. Wellington Point and Hilliard state schools and Wellington Point State High School had none.
Do private schools in the Redlands have catchments?
No. Catchments and enrolment management plans apply only to Queensland state schools. Ormiston College, Sheldon College, Redlands College and the Catholic primary schools each run their own enrolment process and waiting lists, so ask each school when to apply for your child’s year level.