Student Success

Macksville High School has a history of student success, out-performing similar schools in the state and the local region.

Our student success looks like:

• Outstanding HSC results
• Continuing improvement in NAPLAN results
• VET qualifications
• Apprenticeships and Traineeships
• Post-graduation pathways

Macksville High School's Outstanding HSC Results Inspire Educational Research

This term, Macksville High School had the privilege of welcoming four researchers from the Department of Education’s Centre for Education Statistics and Evaluation (CESE). After recognising our school’s exceptional Higher School Certificate (HSC) achievements over the past four years, CESE chose Macksville High as one of only a few schools across the state to be part of an important research project.

The researchers spent time interviewing students and staff and observing the innovative teaching practices that contribute to our success in HSC courses. We are incredibly proud to have been selected for this opportunity to showcase the dedication and hard work happening behind the scenes every day.

This collaboration highlights the strong commitment of our school community—students, families, teachers, and support staff alike—to ensuring that every student completes Year 12 successfully and is well-prepared for their future pathways.

We eagerly look forward to the release of the research paper and continuing to build on this foundation of excellence. Thank you to everyone who plays a part in making Macksville High a place of achievement and opportunity.

Pictured: Our 2026 Macksville High School leaders

Macksville High School reverses state trends in 2023 NAPLAN data!

Macksville High School is the only school in the SPD (School Performance Directorate – more than 50 schools) to record improvements in every area and is in stark contrast to other network schools and reverses state figures.

A 9% increase in the percentage in strong and exceeding for reading and 5.5% in numeracy are very significantly better than state numbers.

Above: The School Performance Directorate covers more than 50 schools