How Brisbane primary schools compare: My School, catchment, EAL and commuting

First make this five-column comparison table

Only include no more than three schools that you would actually apply to and that your family is willing to attend every day. Write "evidence + date" in each box, do not write "I heard it is good".

Candidate schools	Enrollment/zone evidence	Public data	Child support	Family implementation costs	Still need to confirm with school
School A	EdMap query date; Prep-Year 6; whether there is School EMP; in/out-of-catchment; school enrollment page	My School profile year; enrollment/attendance; ICSEA only for background; NAPLAN only for limited information	EAL/D identification method; classroom support; interpreter; transition/health/disability support	school-day door to door; cross river/transfer; pick up and drop off people; OSHC sessions; worst day scenario	current year application; residency evidence; EAL/D contact; OSHC provider; gate/transport
School B
School C

The five columns are not a scoring table, nor do they produce "first overall score." The order of use is:

1. Exclude assumptions with unclear enrollment evidence first: Use EdMap and School EMP to verify, without real estate advertisements or postcode. 2. Restrict the scope of interpretation of public data: My School provides clues to questions and does not replace school visits and conversations. 3. Write child support as a verifiable question: Don’t just ask “Is there an EAL?” 4. Write family costs as time and care arrangements: school-day measurement, OSHC, alternative transportation, rainy days and disruption. 5. Let the school fill in the unknown items: record the contact person, reply date and written link, do not fill in the blanks with the impression of a tour.

Enrollment/zone evidence: How to check EdMap and School EMP

EdMap query path

1. Open Queensland EdMap. 2. Enter the child’s full principal place of residence address. 3. Check out the Prep to Year 6 catchment for primary schools and don’t mistake the secondary layer. 4. Record the school name, query date and map boundary; do not rely solely on pins or text search results for boundary locations. 5. Open the Enrolments page of the target school’s official website, and then view the Department’s School Enrolment Management Plans list. 6. Re-search during the application year, after moving, and before formal submission.

Queensland Government explains that a school catchment is the geographical area where a state school receives core intake. Schools implementing School EMP that are close to enrollment capacity will prioritize eligible in-catchment students and limit out-of-catchment enrollments. Those who live in the catchment still need to prove the principal place of residence according to the school's requirements; the out-of-catchment application is affected by capacity, criteria and principal decision.

Brisbane Local Boundary

northside, southside, inner city, bayside and Brisbane River are commuting descriptions, not enrolment boundaries.
Brisbane City Council boundary, suburb name, postcode, property listing "school catchment" are not alternatives to EdMap.
Catholic, independent and other non-state schools do not use Queensland state-school EdMap/School EMP as unified admission rules; use the corresponding school system or school official enrollment path.

This column needs to be saved: EdMap screenshot, query date, layer, School EMP link, school enrollment page, in/out-of-catchment status and residency evidence required by the school.

Public data: What can be seen in My School and what conclusions cannot be drawn

Official query path

1. Open My School and search for the full name of the school. 2. First look at the school profile: school sector, year range, location, enrollment, student/teacher information, attendance, funding and school website link. 3. Look at the NAPLAN page again and record the assessment year, year level, domain, participation and comparison context shown. 4. To understand the fields, open About My School, FAQs and technical and statistical information. Do not use third-party ranking explanations. 5. Write your questions in the "School Confirmation" column instead of converting numbers into homemade rankings.

Correct usage of ICSEA

ICSEA is the Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage. ACARA uses factors such as parent education/occupation, school geographic location, and Indigenous status to estimate the socio-educational advantage that a school’s student population brings to learning. My School FAQ states that the mean is 1000 and the standard deviation is 100.

But ICSEA:

Not a rating of the school, principal, teacher or teaching quality;
Do not use parent wealth or school resources as direct components of this indicator;
It cannot be proven that a particular school caused the child’s performance;
Mainly used to understand the comparison context of students’ background and “students with similar background”. It is not suitable for ranking schools by numerical value.

Boundary between NAPLAN and My School

NAPLAN provides partial information on literacy and numeracy and does not measure the full school curriculum, support, belonging, safety, arts, sport, EAL/D or child-teacher matches.
ACARA clearly states that My School does not have league tables, and NAPLAN is only one aspect of school performance; to understand the school, you still need to visit the school and talk to the teachers/principal.
From 2023 NAPLAN uses a new four-level proficiency reporting and resets the measurement scale/time series. ACARA explains that achievements before 2023 cannot be directly compared with results starting from 2023; do not draw an "up/down trend" across the reset point.

-Small cohort, participation, student composition, and year changes can affect interpretation. When you see a difference, read the technical notes first, and then ask the school how the teaching and support work, without making outcome predictions.

It is recommended to write only three lines in the public data column: What I saw, What it cannot explain, What do I want to ask the school.

Child Support: EAL/D Don’t just ask “is there any?”

The Queensland Department defines EAL/D learners as students who speak a language or dialect other than English and require English support to enter the age-appropriate curriculum. Using another home language does not automatically equate to the child needing EAL/D support. Schools will identify needs during enrollment or subsequent classroom observation/work samples and use Bandscales State Schools (Queensland) to understand listening, speaking, reading and writing proficiency.

Department explains that the support type is determined by the school based on the child's English proficiency and school context. Therefore, do not treat “with EAL teacher” as a binary label when comparing, and do not ask the school to guarantee hours, staffing, or results. Ask each school the same set of questions:

1. What home language, previous schooling and English learning information will be collected during enrollment? 2. How does the school identify and continuously monitor the listening, speaking, reading, and writing needs of EAL/D learners? 3. Does support mainly occur in the classroom, small group, individual planning, or a combination of multiple methods? Who explains the arrangements to parents? 4. How do parents receive information on English language proficiency and curriculum progress? Who else should I contact besides the classroom teacher? 5. When you are new to Australia, have studied a different curriculum, experienced a schooling interruption or need transition support, what information will the school collect first? 6. How to make an appointment when an interpreter is needed for parent meetings or enrollment communication? Parent information from the Queensland Department states that you can apply for a free Translating and Interpreting Service interpreter from your school. 7. Health, disability, wellbeing, learning or cultural support outside of EAL/D should be discussed separately through what school process?

Families can continue to use home language to read and communicate with their children. Don't make home language an issue because you're worried about English, and don't use a single NAPLAN result as a substitute for school observation of your child's current language and curriculum learning.

Official entry point: English language support in Queensland state schools · Supporting your EAL/D child

Household Enforcement Costs: OSHC plus Brisbane Commute

"4 km from home" is not an enforceable cost. For children ages 5 to 8, record recurring time, care, and failure scenarios for at least four weeks.

OSHC individually verified

The Queensland Government explains that OSHCs can operate at schools, community centres, etc.; at state school sites they usually operate separately from schools. School enrollment does not guarantee OSHC place. Provider determines hours, fees, enrollment eligibility, priority and availability at its sole discretion.

When contacting the provider:

Are before-school, after-school, pupil-free day and vacation care provided separately?
Is there a place for the required weekdays, or is it just registration/waitlist?
Prep/Year 1 How are children handed over from classroom or gate?
Where are the current written rules for fixed, casual, late pickup, cancellation, food and holiday booking?
What information is required for medical, allergy, additional needs, authorized pickup and emergency contact?

Official entry point: Queensland before and after school care. The specific provider still needs to be confirmed from the school's official page or office.

Use school-day to do two route tests

1. Open the Journey Planner from Translink Plan your journey and select the actual school day; use Arrive before in the morning and Depart in the afternoon. 2. Use School Service Finder to view school services near the school; it shows near-school services and does not automatically prove that they are suitable for children to use independently. 3. One time is based on the actual measurement on a normal day, and the other time is simulated under poor conditions: rain, bridge/rail disruption, younger sibling traveling together, main pick-up person working overtime or pickup queue. 4. Record home-to-gate, gate-to-class/OSHC, transfer waits, legal parking/drop-off, walking exposure and emergency pickup, not just on-board time. 5. Recheck timetable/disruptions in the new school year and before departure. Translink reminds school service timetables to be adjusted for the new school year.

The Brisbane River and cross-river bridge/tunnel will change the true route, but school quality cannot be inferred from this. Brisbane City Council's school road safety or Active School Travel information is also only valid for participating schools and specific road environments; check with the school for current gate, drop-off/pick-up and active travel arrangements.

Confirm with the school: Complete the fifth column in an email

You can change the following questions into a short email and send it to the school office; each candidate school uses the same version to facilitate comparison.

We are verifying the child's enrollment at year level / proposed start year. We query EdMap with the actual residential address on date and the result is school / in-or-out of catchment. Please ask:

1. What are the official links of application path, School EMP and residency evidence in that year?

2. How to arrange school tour or information session and formal enrollment respectively?

3. For children whose home language is language and previous schooling is context, how does the school collect information, identify EAL/D needs, and who explains support to parents?

4. If I need an interpreter, how can I make a reservation in advance?

5. Which provider operates OSHC? Where else do I need to check for weekday places, hours and fees?

6. Where is the Current school gate, drop-off/pick-up, public transport or active travel information?

If the school cannot answer staffing, class allocation or next year's OSHC availability in the first email, mark the box as 'To be confirmed + date' and do not make up your own conclusions.

Don’t use these five “quick answers”

1. Third Party School Ranking: My School itself does not provide a league table, and this guide does not recreate one. 2. Catchment for real estate ads: Use EdMap’s current boundary and school procedures to verify; this guide does not provide rental or purchase advice. 3. “ICSEA high = good teaching”: ICSEA is the socio-educational background index of the student group, not the teaching rating. 4. "High NAPLAN = my child will have a better future": NAPLAN is only part of the school-level information and cannot predict individual child outcomes. 5. "With EAL/D = there must be a fixed teacher/class time": support is determined according to the child's needs and school context, and the specific delivery will be explained by the school on the day.

Official sources, versions and disclaimers

This guidance was verified on 11 July 2026 (AEST) using primary official sources from ACARA/My School, Queensland Government, Queensland Department of Education, Queensland Government Statistician's Office, Translink and Brisbane City Council.

ACARA / My School

Queensland / Brisbane

UPDATE NOTE: My School reporting fields, ICSEA methodology, NAPLAN reporting, catchment, School EMP, enrollment requirements, EAL/D arrangements, OSHC availability/fees and transport services are all subject to change. School web pages and written replies should be dated; this guide cannot be used to replace the current decision of the target school or provider.

Disclaimer: This material is general educational information and does not constitute school recommendation, educational evaluation, legal, immigration, real estate, financial, childcare or traffic safety advice. Airbotix does not represent ACARA, the Queensland Government, Brisbane City Council, any school system, school, OSHC provider or Translink; does not guarantee enrollment, out-of-catchment place, EAL/D support, OSHC place, commute performance or any learning outcomes, nor does it make predictions of outcomes for individual children.

About Airbotix Family Guides

Airbotix Family Guides organizes the educational issues Australian families are dealing with into dated action lists that can be linked back to official sources and confirmed with schools.

Outside of school, parents can also observe how their children express ideas, try, collaborate and complete works through real small projects. To learn about Airbotix’s age-appropriate learning path and more guidance, please visit airbotix.ai; for courses, activities or cooperation, please contact Rain · Sales WeChat. For school enrollment, EAL/D, OSHC and transportation issues, please continue to use the official sources above and contact your target school or provider.

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Keep checking instead of looking for an overall ranking

Learn about Airbotix Family Guides on the official website; for courses, activities or cooperation, please contact Rain. Enrollment, EAL/D, OSHC and transportation decisions come back to the department, school and provider.

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