Dharra School
42 Recreation Road, Aintree VIC 3336
Dharra School is a government special school in Aintree, VIC with about 130 students. Its ICSEA is 1,029, where the national average is 1000.
ICSEA, Language background, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander share, Teaching staff, School website: ACARA School Profile 2025. Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Terms
About this school, from public sources
Public information describes Dharra School as a government specialist school in Aintree, in Melbourne's west, opened in January 2024 for students with mild through severe intellectual disabilities across primary and secondary levels. Its name, Dharra, is a Woi-wurrung word meaning white hawk, reflecting local Wurundjeri heritage. The school follows the Victorian Curriculum and is described as offering a positive, caring and safe learning environment for its dual-mode student community.
Often praised
- dedicated specialist disability programs
- dual primary-secondary setting
- culturally grounded, community-linked identity
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 Dharra 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Muhammadiyah Australia College | Melton | Independent k–12 / combined | 6.1 km | 1,052 | 182 |
| Southern Cross Grammar | Caroline Springs | Independent k–12 / combined | 6.6 km | 1,136 | 904 |
| Creekside K-9 College | Caroline Springs | Public k–12 / combined | 6.9 km | 1,018 | 1,204 |
| Brookside P-9 College | Caroline Springs | Public k–12 / combined | 7.5 km | 1,013 | 1,111 |
| Al Iman College | Melton South | Independent k–12 / combined | 8.7 km | 1,059 | 1,149 |
| Gilson College | Taylors Hill | Independent k–12 / combined | 8.8 km | 1,073 | 1,102 |
| Melton Specialist School | Melton | Public special | 9.1 km | 951 | 387 |
| Melton Christian College | Brookfield | Independent k–12 / combined | 9.3 km | 1,044 | 1,268 |
Schools with a similar ICSEA in VIC
Same sector and type, ICSEA within 25 points. This is the comparison that separates teaching from postcode.
| School | Suburb | Type | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Coburg Special Developmental School | Coburg | Public special | 76 | 1,028 |
| Northern School For Autism | Reservoir | Public special | 329 | 1,030 |
| Eastern Ranges School | Ferntree Gully | Public special | 194 | 1,031 |
| Yarrabah School | Aspendale | Public special | 192 | 1,032 |
| Blackburn English Language School | Burwood East | Public special · P-10 | 172 | 1,022 |
| Ascot Vale Heights School | Ascot Vale | Public special | 119 | 1,021 |
About this data
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.