Cook School
Rawson Ave, Loftus NSW 2232
Cook School is a government special school in Loftus, NSW with about 66 students. Its ICSEA is 956, where the national average is 1000.
Language background, Teaching staff: ACARA School Profile 2025. Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Terms
Attendance and enrolment
Enrolments by year, 2016–2025. Latest 66.
About this school, from public sources
Based on publicly available information, Cook School is a NSW government special school in Loftus (Sutherland Shire) catering for around 77 students from Kindergarten to Year 12. It provides specialist education across four programs for students with complex trauma, mental health conditions, behaviour difficulties, and autism. The school was named Australian School of the Year (and Special Education School of the Year) at the 2023 Australian Education Awards, and has secured a near-$10 million expansion for new classrooms and facilities to support more students.
Often praised
- Australian School of the Year 2023
- Specialist programs for complex needs
- Major facilities expansion underway
This note was generated from publicly available online sources (the school's website, official pages and online feedback) as at September 2026. It reflects what is said online, not an assessment by SchoolList AU or any government body, and it deliberately records only neutral and positive points. Confidence: medium. Verify anything important with the school. Report an inaccuracy.
NAPLAN
School-level NAPLAN results are published by ACARA on My School under terms that do not allow them to be reproduced here. See Cook School on My School · Why some data is missing
Location and nearby schools
Straight-line distances. List every school within 5 to 50 km.
| School | Suburb | Type | Distance | ICSEA | Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aspect South East Sydney School, Loftus | Loftus | Independent special | 0.1 km | — | — |
| Minerva School | Sutherland | Public special | 0.9 km | 1,039 | 47 |
| Sydney Montessori School | Gymea | Independent k–12 / combined | 3.3 km | 1,118 | 147 |
| Bates Drive School | Kareela | Public special | 3.7 km | 1,018 | 62 |
| Aspect South East Sydney School, Menai | Menai | Independent special | 3.8 km | — | — |
| Inaburra School | Bangor | Independent k–12 / combined | 3.9 km | 1,123 | 1,211 |
| Shire Christian School | Barden Ridge | Independent k–12 / combined | 4.0 km | 1,116 | 926 |
| Aspect South East Sydney School, Kareela | Kareela | Independent special | 4.2 km | — | — |
Schools with a similar ICSEA in NSW
Same sector and type, ICSEA within 25 points. This is the comparison that separates teaching from postcode.
| School | Suburb | Type | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernhill School | Glenmore Park | Public special | 129 | 956 |
| Les Powell School | Mount Pritchard | Public special | 76 | 956 |
| Halinda School | Whalan | Public special | 114 | 955 |
| Hunter River Community School | Metford | Public special | 70 | 958 |
| Newcastle Senior School | Waratah | Public special | 37 | 960 |
| Glenvale School | Narara | Public special | 159 | 963 |
About this data
- nsw-doe-master
- acara-profile
- nsw-doe-attendance
- nsw-doe-enrolment-history
- nsw-doe-support-classes
- school-website
Figures are from the latest published datasets and can lag the school by a year. Confirm enrolment rules and catchment boundaries with the school or department before relying on them.