Top 10 State High Schools in Moreton Bay: 2025 Results, Catchments and Programs of Excellence
By Tim AllenBuyer’s Agent and Director, IPS Buyer’s Agents
The top state high schools in Moreton Bay on 2025 results for Years 7–10 are Albany Creek State High School (90), Redcliffe State High School (85), Narangba Valley State High School (84) and Mango Hill State Secondary College (83). No Moreton Bay state high school made Better Education’s 2025 top 20 list for Brisbane’s public high schools, where every school listed scored 91 or more.[1]
This guide ranks all 17 state schools with secondary years in the City of Moreton Bay council area (no Brisbane or Sunshine Coast schools, and no private schools) by Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score.[2] It shows which of the top 10 run an enrolment management plan and Programs of Excellence, and how to check a home’s high school catchment before you buy.
Key takeaways
- Albany Creek State High School (90) leads Moreton Bay’s state high schools on 2025 results, ahead of Redcliffe (85), Narangba Valley (84) and Mango Hill State Secondary College (83).[2]
- Nine of the top 10 run an enrolment management plan (EMP), so for them your address decides your place; Clontarf Beach State High School is the exception.[3]
- Five of the top 10 offer Programs of Excellence with a set number of places, and out-of-catchment students get those places only after local demand is met.[4]
- Queensland draws separate junior secondary and senior secondary catchments, so check both for any address you are considering.[5]
- To enrol at an EMP school you need a current lease, rates notice or unconditional contract of sale, plus a utility bill, and your child must be living there when you apply.[6]
What are the top 10 state high schools in Moreton Bay?
On Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score for Years 7–10, the top 10 state high schools in Moreton Bay are led by Albany Creek (90), Redcliffe (85) and Narangba Valley (84). There is no tie for 10th, so the list holds exactly 10 schools.[2] Schools on the same score share a rank (marked =) and are listed alphabetically. The suburb is the school’s own address and links to our suburb report, and the last column shows whether the school is on the Department of Education’s EMP list of 1 October 2026.[3]
| Rank | State high school | Suburb | 2025 score | EMP |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Albany Creek State High School | Albany Creek | 90 | Yes |
| 2 | Redcliffe State High School | Redcliffe | 85 | Yes |
| 3 | Narangba Valley State High School | Narangba | 84 | Yes |
| 4 | Mango Hill State Secondary College | Mango Hill | 83 | Yes |
| =5 | Bray Park State High School | Bray Park | 82 | Yes |
| =5 | North Lakes State College | North Lakes | 82 | Yes |
| 7 | Murrumba State Secondary College | Murrumba Downs | 80 | Yes |
| =8 | Clontarf Beach State High School | Clontarf | 78 | No |
| =8 | Pine Rivers State High School | Strathpine | 78 | Yes |
| 10 | Bribie Island State High School | Bongaree | 76 | Yes |
North Lakes State College runs from Prep to Year 12 and is ranked on its secondary years. Just outside the top 10 are Burpengary State Secondary College and Woodford State School (Prep to Year 10), both on 74.
How were the schools ranked?
We ranked all 17 state schools with secondary years in the City of Moreton Bay by their 2025 State Overall Score on Better Education’s secondary suburb ratings pages, and checked every score and enrolment plan on 6 November 2026.[2] The schools are those on the Queensland Government’s 2026 lists of junior and senior secondary sites that fall inside the council area, from Albany Creek and Strathpine to Woodford and Bribie Island.[5][7]
Better Education’s State Overall Score rates a school’s English and maths test results in Years 7–10 from 60 to 100, and does not include Year 11 and 12 results. On Better Education’s own conversion, 90 puts a school in about the top 25% of Queensland, and the 76 in 10th place is about the top 60%.[8] It is a third-party measure, not a Queensland Government one.
A score measures results, not everything a school does, and results also reflect students’ backgrounds, as Better Education points out.[1] ACARA, which runs NAPLAN, has long discouraged league tables built from its data because they don’t show the full picture of a school.[9] Use this list to decide where to look, then read each school’s My School profile and visit.[10]
Your local state high school is the one closest to your home by the shortest, most direct road route to its main entrance, and its catchment is the area where its core intake of students must live.[11] The Government publishes separate junior secondary and senior secondary catchments,[5] and a small number of state secondary schools have more than one catchment area.[6] So check the address on EdMap for both, not just the school nearest you.[12]
Catchments are reviewed every year, for example for new roads, subdivisions or a new school nearby, and students already enrolled are not affected when a boundary moves. Where local circumstances call for it, the Regional Director can approve a negotiated catchment after consulting neighbouring principals.[13] Narangba Valley State High School is one: its plan says it operates under a negotiated catchment area.[14]
Thirteen of the 17 state schools with secondary years in Moreton Bay have an EMP, including nine of the top 10. Clontarf Beach, Dakabin and Tullawong state high schools and Woodford State School were not on the 1 October 2026 list.[3] An EMP is how a school that is close to or at capacity restricts out-of-catchment enrolments, so places are kept for local students.[11] Every state school has a catchment, but it is enforced only under an EMP.[13]
Each plan sets a maximum enrolment capacity, from 1,417 students at Mango Hill State Secondary College[15] to 3,452 at North Lakes State College, which takes Prep to Year 12.[16] A plan can limit out-of-catchment enrolments in the entry year, which for a high school is Year 7, and siblings of current students who live outside the catchment are entitled to enrol.[6]
Sometimes, through a Program of Excellence: a specialist program for high-performing students, approved by the Regional Director.[6] Each plan sets aside a number of places, and they go to out-of-catchment students only once local demand is met and room is reserved for future local growth.[4] Five schools in the top 10 list programs in their plans:
| School | Programs of Excellence (places) |
|---|---|
| Albany Creek State High School[4] | Catalyst 150; Football (Soccer) 150; Football (Australian Rules) 150; Arts 242 |
| Redcliffe State High School[17] | Visual and Media Arts 28; Drama 28; Accelerated Music 28; Rugby League 162 |
| Narangba Valley State High School[14] | Performing Arts Music Academy 100; Sports Academy (AFL and netball) 248 |
| North Lakes State College[16] | Dance 85 (Prep–Year 12); Basketball 60 (Years 6–12); Golf 25 (Years 7–12); Inspire Academy 100 (Years 7–9) |
| Murrumba State Secondary College[18] | Engineering Excellence 112; Spanish Acceleration 28; Spanish Immersion 84; Football Academy 112; High Performance Music 78; Dance Academy 168 |
The plans for Mango Hill, Bray Park, Pine Rivers and Bribie Island list no programs, and Clontarf Beach has no plan.[3] A program place is not a family pass either: siblings of out-of-catchment students in a Program of Excellence are not automatically entitled to enrol.[6]
At an EMP school you need one primary document (a current lease agreement, a rates notice or an unconditional contract of sale) and one secondary document (a utility bill showing the same address and the parent’s name). The principal can ask for more, and the student must be living within the catchment at the time of the enrolment application.[6]
- Ask the school when it takes Year 7 applications, and plan back from that date.
- Check the exact address on EdMap for both the junior and senior secondary catchments before you make an offer.
- Read the school’s plan for its capacity, programs and the documents it wants.
- Allow time for the contract to go unconditional, settlement, the move and a utility account in your name.
- If time is tight, renting in the catchment while you search also works, because a current lease is accepted proof.
The top 10 are in 10 different suburbs, from Albany Creek and Strathpine in the south to Bongaree on Bribie Island. They fall into four groups. These are descriptions, not recommendations, and a school nearby is not the same as a home in its catchment.
The Hills District and Pine Rivers
Albany Creek State High School is first, and Bray Park (82) and Pine Rivers in Strathpine (78) are nearby. All three run EMPs. If you are buying for the primary years too, see our top 20 state primary schools in Moreton Bay, and check the primary and secondary catchments for the same address. We helped a growing family upsize in Albany Creek (read the Albany Creek story) and a family relocating from New Zealand buy in Strathpine (read the Strathpine story).
North Lakes, Mango Hill and Murrumba Downs
Mango Hill State Secondary College (83), North Lakes State College (82) and Murrumba State Secondary College (80) are all in the growth corridor around North Lakes, and all three run EMPs. Between them they offer 10 Programs of Excellence. One of our Mango Hill buyers, a mum of two, wanted a home close to schools and transport that the family could stay in until the children finish school (read the Mango Hill story).
Narangba
Narangba Valley State High School is third overall, the only school from the Narangba and Burpengary area in the top 10. Its plan sets a capacity of 2,495 students and lists two Programs of Excellence, a Performing Arts Music Academy and a Sports Academy for AFL and netball.[14]
The Redcliffe peninsula and Bribie Island
Redcliffe State High School is second, and Clontarf Beach (78) is the only top-10 school without an EMP. Bribie Island State High School in Bongaree is 10th. For prices and rents across the region, see our Moreton Bay property market guide and the full set of Moreton Bay suburb reports.
- Checking only the primary catchment. Primary, junior secondary and senior secondary catchments are drawn separately, so one address can sit in different combinations.[5]
- Counting on a program place. Programs of Excellence have their own entry criteria and take out-of-catchment students only after local demand is met.[6]
- Buying on a boundary without a plan B. Catchments are reviewed every year, although students already enrolled are not affected.[13]
- Assuming a school without an EMP will stay open to everyone. A school must adopt a plan once utilisation reaches 80% and keeps rising, so ask the principal how enrolments are tracking.[6]
Moving for a high school often means upsizing, buying before you sell, or both, which can mean a bigger loan. Talk to a mortgage broker before you shortlist homes, so pre-approval is in place when the right address comes up. 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 junior and senior catchments and the EMP of every shortlisted address before you inspect, negotiate the price and conditions, and work with your broker and solicitor or conveyancer so the contract dates suit the Year 7 application. 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, and Moreton Bay is one of our core areas (see our Moreton Bay buyer’s agent service). 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).
Albany Creek, Redcliffe and Narangba Valley lead Moreton Bay’s state high schools on 2025 results. Nine of the top 10 run an EMP, so your address decides your place: check the junior and senior catchments on EdMap, read the school’s plan, and time the contract and the move around the Year 7 application.
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, enrolment management plans, programs and catchments change, so confirm your child’s eligibility with the school, and check the rules for your purchase with your solicitor or conveyancer before you act.
Buying in Moreton Bay with a high school in mind? Tell us the school and your budget, and we will shortlist homes in its catchment.
- Better Education — Top Public High Schools in Brisbane (2025 results, Years 7–10)
- Better Education — QLD Suburb Ratings by Secondary School Results (2025 school scores, by suburb)
- Department of Education — School enrolment management plans (schools with an EMP, last updated 1 October 2026)
- Department of Education — Albany Creek State High School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 6 July 2026)
- Queensland Government Open Data Portal — Queensland state schools—geographic information (junior and senior secondary sites and catchments, 2026)
- Department of Education — School Enrolment Management Plans (School EMPs) procedure, version 7.5
- 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)
- Department of Education — Narangba Valley State High School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 22 January 2026)
- Department of Education — Mango Hill State Secondary College: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 9 February 2026)
- Department of Education — North Lakes State College: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 15 September 2026)
- Department of Education — Redcliffe State High School: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 15 September 2026)
- Department of Education — Murrumba State Secondary College: School Enrolment Management Plan (last updated 22 January 2026)
What is the best state high school in Moreton Bay?
On Better Education’s 2025 State Overall Score for Years 7–10, Albany Creek State High School ranks first among Moreton Bay’s state high schools with 90, ahead of Redcliffe State High School (85), Narangba Valley State High School (84) and Mango Hill State Secondary College (83). The score reflects English and maths results only, so read each school’s My School profile and visit before you decide.
Which Moreton Bay state high schools have no enrolment management plan?
On the Department of Education’s list of 1 October 2026, four of Moreton Bay’s 17 state schools with secondary years had no enrolment management plan: Clontarf Beach, Dakabin and Tullawong state high schools and Woodford State School. Their catchments are not enforced, but a school must adopt a plan once utilisation reaches 80% and keeps rising.
What is a Program of Excellence at a Queensland state high school?
A Program of Excellence is a specialist program for high-performing students, approved by the Department of Education’s Regional Director. A school with an enrolment management plan sets aside a number of places in each program, and students from outside the catchment get them only after local demand is met. Albany Creek, Redcliffe, Narangba Valley, Murrumba and North Lakes all list programs.
Do Queensland state high schools have separate junior and senior catchments?
Yes. The Queensland Government publishes separate junior secondary and senior secondary catchments, and a small number of state secondary schools have more than one catchment area. Check any address on EdMap for both, as well as for the primary catchment if you have younger children.
Can my child go to a state high school outside our catchment in Queensland?
You can apply, but you may not get a place. At a school with an enrolment management plan, out-of-catchment students are enrolled only when there is spare capacity, and a plan can limit out-of-catchment entry into Year 7. Siblings of current students are entitled to enrol, and some students win a place through a Program of Excellence.
When do we need to live in the catchment for Year 7 enrolment?
By the time you apply. The Department of Education’s procedure says the student must be living within the catchment at the time of the enrolment application, and accepts a current lease, a rates notice or an unconditional contract of sale, plus a utility bill. Ask the school when it takes Year 7 applications, then plan settlement and the move before that date.