Papunya School
Papunya NT 0872
Papunya School is a government combined primary and secondary school in Papunya, NT from Transition to Year 12 with about 71 students. Its ICSEA is 582, where the national average is 1000.
ICSEA, Enrolments, Language background, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander share, Teaching staff: ACARA School Profile 2025. Source: Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA). Terms
About this school, from public sources
Based on public NT government school records and directory listings, Papunya School is a remote government T-12 school serving the Papunya community roughly 250km northwest of Alice Springs. It has a long history of bilingual education, running a Pintupi-Luritja language program from 1984 to 1996, reflecting the community's strong Luritja, Pintupi, Pitjantjatjara and Warlpiri language ties. Papunya is also historically notable as the birthplace of the Papunya Tula art movement.
Often praised
- long bilingual education history
- strong community language ties
- birthplace of Papunya Tula art movement
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 Papunya 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Haasts Bluff School | Haasts Bluff (Ikuntji) | Public k–12 / combined | 27.3 km | 625 | 15 |
Schools with a similar ICSEA in NT
Same sector and type, ICSEA within 25 points. This is the comparison that separates teaching from postcode.
| School | Suburb | Type | Students | ICSEA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonya School | Orrtipa-Thurra (Bonya) | Public k–12 / combined · T-9 | 7 | 579 |
| Wugularr School | Wugularr | Public k–12 / combined · T-12 | 138 | 585 |
| Areyonga School | Areyonga | Public k–12 / combined · T-9 | 29 | 586 |
| Amanbidji School | Amanbidgi (Kildirk) | Public k–12 / combined · T-9 | 22 | 576 |
| Alyarrmandumanja Umbakumba School | Umbakumba | Public k–12 / combined · T-12 | 49 | 591 |
| Kalkaringi School | Kalkaringi (Wave hill) | Public k–12 / combined · T-12 | 164 | 593 |
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.