As students across Sydney celebrate the end of year 12, a parade of thanks-giving masses, valedictory dinners and final parent catch-ups has been under way over the past month at the city’s private schools.
This year, Kincoppal invited parents for canapes on the terrace overlooking the harbour. Tickets were $130 per parent and $75 for graduates. Student attendance was compulsory. The school said ticket pricing reflects the costs associated with delivering the event.
While it was small change compared to the $45,000 parents pay for year 12, it was another comparatively small but extra cost of private school not disclaimed on the sticker price.
There are 20 NSW schools charging more than $45,000 annually for year 12, but the real cost goes beyond fees. Some private schools advise parents to set aside $2000 to buy the entire uniform, while the prevailing rule of thumb is to budget for fee rises of 5 per cent per year. Then there’s the capital levy, the costs of camps and excursions, application fee, enrolment acceptance fee, extra fees for music lessons and sport.
But there is also another shadow economy that a first-time parent might not be aware: giving days, fundraising events and a busy social calendar all geared towards extracting more cash. Schools have also published legal contract templates, so alumni can bequeath houses, share portfolios or art collections upon their death.
At Kincoppal, the parents and friends association’s latest financial report in 2024 reveals it generated $3000 from the welcome cocktail party and the country weekend made a small $1125 surplus. The Mother’s Day raffle made $15,000, while Father’s Day generated $12,000. The association donated $146,354 to the school in 2024, comprising a $120,000 contribution to replace the staff and students’ bus and $26,354 to build and install the barbecue area on Fernon Fields.
Next door, Kambala’s parent association raised $123,610 in net income that same year from the canteen alone, donating a total of $125,000 to the school to fund teacher training scholarships, a junior school playground and a lecture theatre upgrade, financial records show.
At north shore girls school Monte Sant’ Angelo Mercy College, parents spent $9119 on advertising and marketing, $20,000 on raffle prizes and $300,000 on event costs in 2025. Parents donated $50,000 to the school that year.
Wenona’s parent association managed much more. Revenue included $21,000 from the sale of second-hand uniforms and $418,000 from the gala before posting a total operating profit of $217,000. The association made a donation of $266,000 to the Wenona Foundation in 2025.
At the King’s School preparatory school, the fathers’ association generated $16,000 in revenue from the art show and $74,000 in canteen sales, while the trivia night brought in $54,000, financial records from 2025 show. Minus expenses, the association managed a $131,629 operating surplus.
Last month at SCEGGS’ Festival on Forbes, raffle tickets for $150 each offered parents the chance to win a 50 per cent discount on their daughter’s fees in 2027.
At most schools, the real money spinners have become simply known as “giving” days.
Newington’s giving day this year raised $250,432, to raise funds for means-tested scholarships. It aims to fund means-tested scholarships for 100 children by 2040.
Monte raised $133,786 this year for its bursary fund to provide hardship assistance, while SCECGS Redlands in Cremorne raised $500,000 for both the expansion of its high country campus and scholarships in 2024. Barker’s inaugural giving day last year raised $762,808 to provide scholarships for Indigenous and refugee students. Ravenswood’s giving day raised $466,550 for scholarships and the building fund and masterplan this year.
Regent Consulting’s Carly Landa, who assists parents secure a spot in Sydney’s schools, said most parents were aware of the potential for fee rises and extra costs.
“Some schools have more expenses than others. There can also be a donation culture as well. The schools tend to expect if you’re able to send your child to that private school, you have some money,” she said.
She said while some families were in a position to donate, that was not everyone at a private school.
“There are definitely families for whom just getting in and paying the fees is a stretch, it takes a lot of their resources. It can be daunting,” she said.
All the parent fundraising events coupled with giving days generate substantial revenue for private schools. What constitutes “other private sources” contributes up to a quarter of some private schools’ total income. At Abbotsleigh, it was 25 per cent ($17 million); at Sydney Grammar it was 18 per cent ($19 million) and for Shore, it was 15 per cent ($13 million) in 2024 – the latest year for which public data is available.
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