The Aporia · Revealed: The Sydney schools where most families earn $500,000-plus

The article reports that four Sydney private schools—Wenona, Queenwood, SCEGGS, and Mosman Church of England Preparatory School—now have a median annual household income exceeding $500,000 for their parents. Additionally, it notes significant increases in parent incomes at other high-fee schools like Cranbrook, where the median income rose by 9% annually to $485,000 over two years. The article highlights concerns raised by Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne about wealthy private schools receiving substantial taxpayer funding while public schools remain underfunded and face rising out-of-pocket costs for parents and teachers.

Written by AI on 2026-10-06, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

Story summary

In Sydney, four private schools — Wenona, Queenwood, SCEGGS, and Mosman Church of England Preparatory School — reported that the median annual household income for their families exceeded $500,000 in 2023. This figure comes from tax office records used by the government to allocate funding based on parental income since 2022 under its Direct Measure of Income method. At Cranbrook, the median parent income rose by 9% annually, reaching $485,000 in two years, outpacing recent fee increases which now stand at $52,000 for Year 12 fees. Across 14 schools, median incomes increased by $50,000 or more between 2023 and 2025, indicating a trend of rising parental wealth in high-end private education sectors. However, income levels vary widely among different schools; for instance, King’s School has a median parent income of $260,000, while Pymble Ladies' College reported $235,000 and Trinity had $265,000. This highlights the significant disparity in parental income across Sydney's private schools.

Written for “Sydney School Income Levels” on 2026-10-31, grounded in this article and the 0 other(s) covering the same event.

📰 Sydney School Income Levels

Education · 1 article(s) covering the same event.

This article reads unscored and hedges 4% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.

The private schools with the richest parents in Victoria revealed as extra funding flows Different event

The Sydney Morning Herald

⚖️ Leans left Hedges 0 of 43 claims Outlet record 61/100

“The articles discuss different private school funding situations in Victoria and Sydney respectively.”

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2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Revealed: The Sydney schools where most families earn $500,000-plus

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2026-10-06 · assertive framing · Revealed: The Sydney schools where most families earn $500,000-plus

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Four schools – Wenona, Queenwood, SCEGGS and Mosman Church of England Preparatory School – were the first to join the $500,000 club last year after parents’ median family pay packets crossed that income threshold, tax office records show.

framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-10-06

🔮 Education Minister Jason Clare said recent funding agreements would result in $20 billion flowing into public schools in coming decade under the needs-based Gonski funding model.

2026-10-06 · The Sydney Morning Herald

Revealed: The Sydney schools where most families earn $500,000-plus · assertive framing

Parents at four Sydney private schools now have a median annual household income exceeding half a million dollars. asserted

Parents → have → dollars

records → join → threshold

At Cranbrook, the median parent income for that school jumped by $83,000 in two years, or 9 per cent annually, to $485,000, outpacing recent fee increases. asserted

income → jump → increases

Year 12 fees now stand at $52,000. asserted

fees → stand → 52,000

Across 14 schools, median parent income jumped by $50,000 or more between 2023 and 2025, including at Shore, Monte Sant’ Angelo and St Catherine’s. asserted

income → jump → Shore

Other schools where parent income surged included St Vincent’s, St Ignatius and Stella Maris colleges. asserted

income → surge → Vincent

While some high-fee schools have total incomes of half a million dollars, some others are much lower. asserted

others → have → dollars

The government started collecting data on parent salaries using tax office data under its Direct Measure of Income method to distribute funding in 2022. asserted

government → start → 2022

It ranks schools based on parents’ income to determine how much government funding flows to each school. asserted

funding → rank → school

Independent Schools Australia chief executive Graham Catt said the education funding model was based on the principle of needs-based support for every student. asserted

model → say → student

“It is more accurate to think of funding for students, not institutions. asserted

It → think → students

Governments spend, on average, about $26,140 per student in government schools and $13,550 per student in independent schools,” he said. asserted

he → spend → schools

“Students at the highest capacity-to-contribute independent schools attract considerably less again, and the parent-income data you are examining is already built into the funding.” asserted

you → contribute → funding

The data was obtained in the federal parliament by Greens senator Penny Allman-Payne, who said private schools were heaping above-inflation fee hikes on parents while also receiving taxpayer funding. asserted

schools → obtain → funding

“It doesn’t pass the pub test that the richest schools in the state, attended by kids of the wealthiest families, plunder billions every year from the public purse while every single public school in NSW remains underfunded,” she said. asserted

she → pass → NSW

“The private school lobby claims they’re relieving pressure on the public school system but that’s a false economy. uncertain

that → claim → system

“Public schools are so underfunded that out-of-pocket costs are soaring and teachers are dipping into their own pockets to pay for classroom supplies. asserted

teachers → soar → supplies

Meanwhile, private schools heap above-inflation fee increases on parents. asserted

schools → heap → parents

“Our funding model is failing our kids. asserted

model → fail → kids

Australia has one of the most segregated and privatised school systems in the OECD. asserted

Australia → have → OECD

Instead of giving every kid the chance to thrive, we’re entrenching privilege and worsening inequality.” asserted

we → give → inequality

Education Minister Jason Clare said recent funding agreements would result in $20 billion flowing into public schools in coming decade under the needs-based Gonski funding model. asserted

billion → say → model

“It fixes the funding of our public schools,” he said. asserted

he → fix → schools

“We’re the first government to ever do this. asserted

We → ’re → this

It’s based on need. asserted

It → base → need

“Schools with parents on higher incomes get less funding, and vice versa. asserted

Schools → get → funding

Schools with parents on lower incomes get more funding.” asserted

Schools → get → funding

Revealed: The Sydney schools where most families earn $500,000-plus

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