State school

Brisbane South State Secondary College

179 Annerley Road, Dutton Park

2 reviews: 2 parents. We share full stories, not ratings.

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Brisbane South State Secondary College at a glance

FeesNo tuition feesOnly the Student Resource Scheme

Getting inCatchment schoolOut of catchment: only through a programHow enrolment works →

Programs of excellence3 programsSTEM, sport. Open to out-of-catchment studentsWho can apply →

Students1,444Mid-sized for Brisbane

Who it’s forCo-ed

Year levelsYears 7–12

Established20215 years ago

These facts come from public sources and are checked against what families tell us. Student numbers are from Feb 2026. How we check our data

2 reviews from parents

Is Brisbane South State Secondary College a good school? It depends on your child. Each review is one person's experience, so it helps to read a few.

All 2 reviews are free to read.

AnonymousFree preview

Parent · child in Year 9 · Written Apr 2025

Why we chose this school

They work well with my son and have a good wellbeing team. They work well with kids who have mental health issues!

What we like and dislike

I dislike how expensive the uniform is. I do like their flexibility with students' learning and the speed they learn at.

Compared with other schools

The school is a paperless school and uses laptops for classes. I do not like how confusing the parent portal thing is and it should be designed to be more friendly for older parents.

Balancing academics and wellbeing

Yes. They prioritize making sure thst the students aren't given so much work to stress them out. In classes, they explain terms and lessons to the children in ways they can all understand.

Expectations versus reality

It is very good. It is an International Baccalaureate school and focuses on providing an individual approach for each student.

Support for students who struggle

It is very good! They have Learning Partners/Teacher Aides in most classes to help. They help my son frequently.

Bullying and the social scene

They give consequences to the child doing the bullying and they teach all kids about bullying prevention in classes called "Learner-Preneur"

The surrounding area and safety

It is locared in Dutton Park and is very safe. It is close to places like the Boggo Road/Park Road busway and train station. This helps students and parents commute to the school easily.

The parent community

No.

How the school works with parents

They don't really have enough Parent-Teacher Interviews. While I understand teachers can be busy, it would be helpful so parents know more about what's going on in their children's classrooms.

Experience of the sports program

They have an AFL Academy. They should have more sport teams though as there is not many.

Experience of arts activities

Drama, Music, and Theatre Sports are all electives my son takes. He says he likes them as they allow him to use his skills a lot.

What the sports program emphasises: Skill development & participation, Competitive performance

Investment in sports facilities ◆◆◆◆◇
Focus on creative and performing arts ◆◆◆◆◇

LHFree preview

Parent · child in Year 9 · Written Mar 2025

Why we chose this school

It’s a brand new school with great facilities and great reputation just after opening two years. My child passed the selective entry exam as out of catchment student and gained entry to its Biomedical and Science Academy. It's a state school so the cost is minimal. We are very happy with the school.

What we like and dislike

Things we like: New buildings with modern technology; Quality staff who really cares about students' growth; Inner city location with lots of transportation options; Biomedical and Science Academy in collaboration with with UQ; Great transition program for year 7 students where they stay in the same classroom with the same teachers for the whole year, similar to primary school; While students have different selective classes from Year 9, they attend the same Learner-preneur class with the same cohort of students across years so the friends group formed in early years will be maintained; Meet and Greet events in term one to talk to each teacher individually; Student-led conference where the student presents to the parents about their growth over the year; Commercial kitchen and woodwork workshops where students learn practical life skills;

Compared with other schools

It's excellent. Because the school is a new build, it has up to date technologies in classroom. Communication with parents are mostly through the Daymap, together with emails.

Balancing academics and wellbeing

The school has a strong focus in the overall well-being of students, through HPE classes and workshops in mental healthy, cyber security, social skills etc.

Expectations versus reality

The school met my academic expectations. There were talks about the new school should be similar standard as Brisbane State high but I never expect it to be, since its students are mostly from the catchment. Only small proportion of students are through the selective entry program.

Support for students who struggle

I'm not quite sure about any particular programs in this regard, but there are teacher aids for struggling students. I saw some school emails about senior students are available to help Year 7 students with their assignments.

Bullying and the social scene

The school's code of conduct has a chapter in Preventing and responding to bullying, including: Bullying response flowchart for teachers; Cyberbullying response flowchart for school staff; My child said the school environment is generally friendly and supportive. There is zero tolerance for bullying.

The surrounding area and safety

While the school is located in the inner-city south Brisbane and on the corner of two main roads, the layout of the surroundings is well designed with parks and buffer strips. Drop-off is easy.

The parent community

I believe there is a close-knit community and parents tend to know each other because the majority of students are from local families who lives in the catchment. I'm not personally involved in the P&C Association but I heard it's well run.

How the school works with parents

The school engaged with parents very well. Examples are the parent-teacher interviews, Meet and Greet with teachers, Excellence ceremonies, River Fire fete in the school grounds. We receive regular school notice and announcement. Teachers are all responsive to emails in my personal experience.

Experience of the sports program

There are lots of options for the students at different skill levels to participate in sports. There is also the selective sports program for talents students.

Experience of arts activities

My child participated in the Strings Program in Year 7 but she decide to drop out in Year 8 because she can't keep up the commitment. It's more her own issue, not the lack of support. The school is not particularly strong in Arts, but still I think there are plenty of opportunities for students with talent or interest or persistence.

What the sports program emphasises: Skill development & participation, Competitive performance, Inclusivity & team spirit

Investment in sports facilities ◆◆◆◆◆
Focus on creative and performing arts ◆◆◆◆◇

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Brisbane South State Secondary College catchment and enrolment

Getting there

179 Annerley Road, Dutton Park QLD

Directions · Open larger map

Enrolment

Out of catchment?

Only through a program

The general application is for catchment families. Out-of-catchment students get in through a selective entry academy.

How to apply, fees and siblings →

The school's website: enrolment forms and dates
eDMap: check the current catchment for your address
Enrolment management plans: how catchment-based enrolment works (Department of Education)

Principal: Brendan Barlow (Principal)
Motto: Novo Discere Mundo (Learning for a New World)
Website: brisbanesouthssc.eq.edu.au

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