Shore School Fees 2027: Total Costs, Waitlist, Scholarships and Entry

Shore school fees for 2027 range from $32,240 a year in Kindergarten to $49,980 a year in Year 12 in tuition alone, according to the official “Fee Schedule 2027” on the Sydney Church of England Grammar School (Shore) website (checked 13 November 2026). For 2026 the same schedule ran from $31,030 (Kindergarten) to $48,100 (Year 12). On top of tuition, Shore charges an annual Resource Levy, an annual Technology Levy and compulsory camp fees, and boarding from Year 7 adds $35,720 a year (full-time, 2027). Every amount on this page is in Australian dollars and comes from Shore’s own pages, with the source linked next to it.

If you searched “Shore school fees” or “Sydney Church of England Grammar School fees”, you probably want more than the headline number: what the levies and camps add, what Years 7 to 12 really cost, how the famously long waitlist works, which scholarships and bursaries exist, and how Shore compares with Knox Grammar, Sydney Grammar and Barker. This page answers those questions first, then sets Shore beside NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) — a very different option: an online international school for ages 6–18 that opens in September 2027.

The short answer: who Shore suits — and who it doesn’t

• Suits: families who want a boys’ school from Kindergarten to Year 12 on Sydney’s lower North Shore, with a Senior School in North Sydney a few minutes’ walk from North Sydney station, Victoria Cross Metro and Milsons Point ferry wharf.
• Suits: families who prefer a non-selective school. Shore says plainly that it is “not a selective school” and accepts students from a wide range of academic abilities.
• Suits: families who plan very early. Places are offered from a waitlist held in order of the child’s age on the day of application, and applications can be made soon after birth.
• Suits: regional, rural and overseas families who want boarding. Shore has four boarding houses and nearly 200 boarders.
• Harder fit: families who decide late. Formal intakes (Kindergarten, Year 5 and Year 7) fill from the waitlist years ahead, and other years open only when a vacancy appears.
• Harder fit: families wanting co-education after the early years. The Early Learning Centre takes boys and girls, but Kindergarten to Year 12 is for boys.
• Harder fit: families on a tight budget. Years 7 to 12 add up to more than $300,000 at 2027 prices, and scholarships and bursaries are means-tested and limited in number.

What Shore is

Shore is the everyday name of Sydney Church of England Grammar School, an Anglican school in North Sydney. Its boarding page records that School House opened in 1889, “when the School was founded”, and the Preparatory School was founded in 1926. Shore describes itself as having four areas: an Early Learning Centre for boys and girls, Kindergarten to Year 2 classes for boys, a Preparatory School for boys in Years 3–6 and a Senior School for boys in Years 7–12. The Early Learning Centre and Kindergarten to Year 2 are on the Northbridge campus; the Senior School is on Blue Street, North Sydney. Total enrolment is not stated on the official pages we checked.

Shore school fees 2027 and 2026 by year level (official)

All figures in this section come from Shore’s School Fees page, checked on 13 November 2026, which now shows the “Fee Schedule 2027”. The 2026 figures are from the same official page as it was published for 2026 (archived copy of 15 December 2025, because the live page has moved on to 2027). Shore says tuition covers “academic tuition, the use of School facilities, most co-curricular activities, and student support services”, and that fees are reviewed annually.

Annual fees for day students, 2027

Fees are paid in four instalments a year (three in Year 12). The 2027 due dates are 28 January, 28 April, 20 July and 12 October 2027. The two camp amounts in Years 10 and 11 reflect a choice: in Year 10 either the End of Year Camp ($860) or Cadet Bivouac and Cadet AFX ($680 each); in Year 11 the Step-Up camp ($900) plus Service Week ($220), or Step-Up plus the two Cadet camps ($680 each). Optional camps are charged separately.

Boarding fees, 2027 (in addition to tuition)

Full-time boarding is $35,720 a year in every year from Year 7 to Year 12. Weekly boarding is $34,780 (Years 7–10), $35,300 (Year 11) and $35,400 (Year 12). Boarding fees include GST on the food component. Where brothers board at the same time, Shore gives 25% off boarding fees for the second son and 50% for the third and fourth — at 2027 rates that is $8,930 and $17,860 a year. The sibling discount cannot be combined with a scholarship or bursary; the larger discount applies.

What changed from 2026 to 2027

Tuition rose by about 3.9% at every level between the two schedules (for example, Year 7: $47,080 ÷ $45,300 = 1.039). Shore’s Conditions of Enrolment say families will be told of tuition and boarding increases at least 10 weeks before they must pay them.

What Years 7 to 12 cost at 2027 prices

Using only the official 2027 schedule for a day student, with no fee rises, scholarship or discount, and the lower camp option in Years 10 and 11:

• Tuition, Years 7–12: 2 × $47,080 + 2 × $48,400 + $49,940 + $49,980 = $290,880.
• Levies: 6 × ($520 + $1,260) = $10,680. Compulsory camps: $1,680 + $1,200 + $1,360 + $860 + $1,120 = $6,220.
• One-off fees: $400 application + $5,000 combined acceptance and confirmation = $5,400.
• Total, Years 7–12 as a day student: $313,180. As a full-time boarder, add 6 × $35,720 = $214,320, for $527,500.
• Kindergarten to Year 12: $274,920 for Kindergarten–Year 6 plus $307,780 for Years 7–12, plus $5,400 one-off fees = $588,100.

Year 7 alone comes to $50,540 in fixed fees before uniform, books, music lessons and optional camps, which are not priced on the schedule. Real totals will be higher because fees rise each year. For a wider view of what numbers like these mean, see our guide to online vs in-person international school costs.

Payment rules worth knowing

Fees are due on the first day of term. Unpaid fees attract an overdue charge of $250 a month. A full term’s written notice is required before withdrawing a student; otherwise a term’s fees and charges plus GST are payable. No fees are remitted for absence. Overseas students who are not Australian passport holders pay a 20% surcharge on domestic tuition because the government subsidy is not paid for them — on 2027 Year 7 tuition that works out at $47,080 × 1.2 = $56,496 (our arithmetic; Shore sends international families their own schedule).

Entry and admissions: waitlist, entry years and enrolment fees

Shore’s Enrolment Application Steps page (checked 13 November 2026) explains a process built around timing rather than testing:

1. Apply. Applications are taken for the first year of the ELC, Kindergarten, Year 5 or Year 7, and only after the child is born. The $400 Waiting List Application Fee (GST included) is non-refundable.
2. Initial offers (“Baby Offers”). Offers come from the waitlist, which is held in order of the child’s age on the day of application. In the middle of the year after the child’s birth, Shore issues the first round of offers for Kindergarten, Year 5 and Year 7. Accepting costs a $1,500 Acceptance Fee.
3. Final confirmation. Shore contacts families two years before entry for Kindergarten and Year 5, and three years before entry for Year 7. The 2027 schedule lists a $3,500 Confirmation Fee, or $5,000 combined if a place is offered within three years of starting. (The 2026 schedule showed $3,000 and $4,500, and the steps page still says $3,000 — check the current amount with Admissions.)
4. Before starting, families get access to Lampada, the parent portal, with term dates, forms and uniform information.

An application for the ELC, Kindergarten or Year 5 is automatically waitlisted for every later year up to Year 7. Intakes become fully enrolled at the same time, and an offer for an early intake cannot be deferred. For non-intake years (Years 1–4 and 6 in the Prep School; Years 8–11 in the Senior School), places appear only when students leave. For Years 8–11 you must ask to be added to the waitlist; at the start of Term 4 Shore reviews numbers and, if vacancies are expected, invites families to send the latest school report, NAPLAN results and details of interests, followed in most cases by an interview. From 2028, 15 additional Year 7 places will be offered each year to students from Mosman Preparatory School.

The ELC fee deposit equals one term’s fees ($5,160 for two days a week, $7,690 for three and $12,810 for five in 2027) and is credited to the first invoice. International students apply with six documents, including an AEAS certificate of English fluency with a minimum of Stanine 7 to 9 in all areas, followed by an interview with the Director of Boarding and a Deputy Head; one semester’s fees are payable in advance (International Students page).

Scholarships and bursaries at Shore

According to the Scholarships and Bursaries page and the 2028 Scholarship and Bursary Information Guide (checked 13 November 2026), all of Shore’s scholarships and bursaries are means-tested and open only to Australian citizens and permanent residents. The size of each award depends on demonstrated need, and the guide notes that funds may be shared among several students.

• Academic Scholarships (Year 7 entry): a discount on academic tuition fees, selected on the ACER Cooperative Scholarship Testing Program and an interview. The guide lists named awards with a maximum discount of 100% of tuition. For 2028 entry, applications opened on 19 October 2026; the ACER test is on Saturday 27 February 2027.
• All-Round Achiever Scholarships (Year 7 entry): the same ACER test and interview, for a balanced record across academics, co-curricular life and service.
• Music Scholarships (Year 7 entry): two awards by audition, each with up to 32 hours of instrumental lessons a year and a tuition discount.
• Boarding Bursaries (Years 7–11): for families from rural, regional and remote communities; may reduce tuition and/or boarding fees. Applications close 21 April 2027.
• AIEF Indigenous Scholarships (Years 7–11, boarding only), with help towards both boarding and tuition fees.
• Peter F Conway Bursary: one a year for the son of a Christian ministry worker, up to 100% of tuition, closing 21 July 2027.

Two practical notes. First, the dates are not fully consistent across official documents: the table on the scholarships page shows academic applications closing on 22 January 2027 while the text says 7 February 2027, and the ACER registration fee appears as $160 on the web page and $140 in the guide — confirm with the Scholarships office. Second, the guide says scholarships and bursaries do not cover the acceptance and confirmation fees, uniforms, camps or levies, and that recipients cannot also receive a sibling discount.

How a school day works: campuses, boarding and term dates

Shore is an in-person school on Sydney time. In the Senior School the day runs from 8.20am to 2.50pm with six 50-minute periods, a weekly Chapel service and a Headmaster’s Assembly on Thursdays; the Study Centre is open after school. In Kindergarten to Year 2 the day runs from 8.25am to 2.40pm, with after-school care until 6.00pm. The Preparatory School is a candidate school for the IB Primary Years Programme, which Shore notes is no guarantee of authorisation. Boys board in four houses — School House, Robson, Barry and Hodges.

The term dates page shows 2027 running from Thursday 28 January to Friday 3 December for the Senior School. If you are comparing a campus school with learning from home, our explainer on how an online international school day works shows the other side.

Accreditation, HSC and university recognition

Shore prepares boys for the NSW Higher School Certificate, which leads to the ATAR used for Australian university entry. Its HSC Results page, which links to the 2025 results, lists a median ATAR of 91.13, 15 students with an ATAR of 99 or above, 26% of students at 95 or higher and 465 Band 6/E4 mentions — from a non-selective intake. Shore is registered on CRICOS (00772M) to teach overseas students in secondary courses.

Shore vs nearby schools: Knox, Sydney Grammar, Barker and NGA (official data)

Families looking at Shore often compare Knox Grammar (Wahroonga), Sydney Grammar (College Street, in the city) and Barker College (Hornsby). Knox, Sydney Grammar and Barker had published only 2026 fees when we checked, so the fee comparison below uses 2026 for all four. NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY is a different kind of school — online, for ages 6–18, and not yet open.

On published 2026 numbers, Year 7 cost $48,415 in fixed fees at Shore ($45,300 + $495 + $1,020 + $1,600), $45,244 at Knox ($42,640 + $840 + $1,764) and $52,410 in tuition at Sydney Grammar. Barker College, a fully co-educational Anglican school in Hornsby, lists Year 7 tuition of $42,300 and total fixed fees of $45,860 for 2026, with boarding of $38,830 a year in Years 9–12. The schools bundle levies, camps and activities differently, so treat these as close-but-not-identical. The bigger differences are entry route — Shore’s age-ordered waitlist versus Sydney Grammar’s entrance assessment — and co-education at Barker. Our pages on Knox Grammar School fees, Sydney Grammar School fees and Barker College fees go into each in detail.

Sources: Shore School Fees, Knox Fee Schedule 2026 (PDF), Sydney Grammar fees, Sydney Grammar entrance, Barker fee schedule — all checked 13 November 2026.

Reviews and common concerns, answered honestly

Parents researching Shore tend to ask the same questions. Here is what the official pages say, so you can weigh them yourself.

“Is Shore worth around $50,000 a year?”

It depends on what your son will use. The fees buy a K–12 boys’ school with a harbourside Senior School, most co-curricular activities included in tuition, compulsory camps, boarding and a strong HSC record from a non-selective intake. Families who will use little of that may find better value elsewhere; boys who throw themselves into school life often get a lot from it.

“We missed the baby waitlist — is it hopeless?”

Not necessarily. Shore notes that cancellations happen right up to Term 1 of the intake year and are filled from the waitlist, and that Years 8–11 vacancies are reviewed every Term 4. Ask to be added to the relevant waitlists and talk to Admissions about current numbers.

“Do we need tutoring for an entrance test?”

Shore is non-selective and does not describe an entrance exam for day students. The ACER test applies only to scholarship applicants, and an AEAS English certificate is required for international students.

“What extras should we budget for?”

Beyond tuition, plan for the Resource and Technology Levies, compulsory camps, optional camps, uniform, books and music lessons. The last few are not priced on the schedule, so ask the School for an estimate.

“Is a boys’ school right for my son?”

This is a family judgement. If daily co-education matters to you, compare co-educational schools such as Barker alongside Shore.

Alternatives to Shore worth comparing

Knox Grammar suits families who want a large boys’ school with boarding on the upper North Shore, with somewhat lower published 2026 tuition and main entry points at Kindergarten, Year 3, Year 5 and Year 7. Sydney Grammar suits academically strong boys whose families want a selective school in the city; entry is by assessment rather than waitlist position.

NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is a different kind of option. It is an online international school for ages 6–18 focused on Asia and Oceania, opening in September 2027 (planned), with free trial classes monthly from September 2026 and pre-opening trial classes in April–May 2027. Its first cohort is 100 students, and it is operated by NIJIN Inc. in Japan, whose alternative school NIJIN Academy has more than 1,000 students. NGA does not rank children by test scores: lessons are small-group live dialogue (classes of about 8), subjects are learned in English with a bilingual English–Japanese mentor, English levels follow the CEFR, and students join social co-creation projects with companies and governments plus international exchange. An optional Cambridge IGCSE / A-Level pathway is listed on the curriculum and timetable page. There is no academic entrance exam and no English requirement; it can run alongside a local school or as the main school, and it travels with the family if they relocate. Tuition is not yet published; NGA says it will be far more affordable than a typical international school, with no enrolment, facility or uniform fees, materials included and sibling discounts.

Be clear about the trade-offs: NGA is not yet open, is not yet accredited and has no graduates or track record. It does not award the HSC and is not a campus school — no boarding, no campus sport, no Chapel. Its timetable is built for Asia–Oceania daytime; Sydney is one to two hours ahead of Japan depending on daylight saving, so live classes may suit an Australian day, but check the timetable against local time. If you want the HSC in a boys’ campus setting, Shore, Knox and Sydney Grammar are the schools to compare.

For more Sydney options, see our guides to international schools in Sydney and Cranbrook School fees, read about online school options in Australia, or compare models in online international schools compared.

See how NGA admissions work →

FAQ

How much are Shore school fees per year?

For 2027, tuition is $32,240 (Kindergarten), $33,120 (Years 1–2), $40,460 (Years 3–4), $41,340 (Years 5–6), $47,080 (Years 7–8), $48,400 (Years 9–10), $49,940 (Year 11) and $49,980 (Year 12), plus Resource and Technology Levies and compulsory camps. Full-time boarding adds $35,720 (official Fee Schedule 2027, checked 13 November 2026).

What were Shore’s fees in 2026?

2026 tuition ran from $31,030 (Kindergarten) to $48,100 (Year 12), with Year 7 at $45,300 and full-time boarding at $35,360.

What one-off fees does Shore charge?

A $400 Waiting List Application Fee, a $1,500 Acceptance Fee and a Confirmation Fee of $3,500 under the 2027 schedule ($5,000 if paid together). All are non-refundable.

Does Shore have an entrance exam?

Shore describes itself as non-selective. Offers come from a waitlist ordered by the child’s age on the day of application; later-year vacancies involve reports, NAPLAN results and usually an interview. Scholarship applicants sit the ACER test.

Can international students enrol at Shore?

Yes, in secondary courses (CRICOS 00772M). International students board during term, need an AEAS certificate at Stanine 7–9, pay a 20% surcharge on domestic tuition and pay one semester in advance.

Choosing calmly, with the whole picture

Shore offers a long-established boys’ education in North Sydney, with boarding, a non-selective door and strong HSC results. The most useful things you can do now are to get on the waitlist as early as you can and to budget the whole journey — tuition, levies, camps and one-off fees — rather than one year’s fee. Whichever school you choose, the right one is the place where your son will be known, stretched and happy.

Tuition and admissions details were checked on the official websites on 13 November 2026. Schools revise fees every year — always confirm on the official site before applying.

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