State school

Ferny Grove State High School

Ferny Grove, Brisbane

3 reviews: 3 alumni. Full stories, no rankings or overall ratings.

Read the reviews free
Ferny Grove State High School

At a glance

The facts, without the digging

Fees

Minimal fees

Queensland state school Student Resource Scheme

Sector
State
Year levels
Year 7 to 12
Students
1,881 (Aug 2025)
Gender
Co-Ed
Established
1980
Boarding
No
Principal
Kiah Lanham (Principal)
Motto
Always Aim High
Website
fernygroveshs.eq.edu.au

Figures come from publicly available sources, checked against what families tell us.How we check our data →

Location & catchment

Where it is, and who gets in

Getting there

Ferny Grove, Brisbane QLD · View on map

Catchment boundaries can shift and don't always match local assumptions. For the current official boundaries, check the Queensland Government's eDMap tool.

Reviews

The story of this school, told by 3 families

We don't rank schools and we don't hand out an overall score. Every review here is a personal experience from a parent or recent graduate.

2 of 3 reviews are free to read. The rest are free with an account.

Jet, H · Alum · Graduated recently (2022, 2023, 2024)
Free preview

Would you recommend it?

I would recommend this school to others because it is very big, accessible to public transport, and the size of the school means that there are students of many different types and interests.

What had the biggest impact

Doing the drama class in grades 10-12 was very impactful as I learnt a lot, had a very fun time, and made many friends. Volleyball was also super fun in senior year.

Show moreShow less

Year 12 subject choices

I did: Pyschology Physics Methods General English Ancient History Drama I chose them because I was interested in them, and was glad I chose them because there was a lot of variety in my subjects.

Getting extra help

Fairly accessible as weekly tutoring sessions for a variety of subjects were held, with extra sessions for senior students.

Readiness for life after school

I felt somewhat prepared, as I had decided on which degree I would do in university.

Subject range and curiosity

Yes, I believe that we had quite a diverse range of subjects, so everybody was able to study what they were interested in. They fostered engagement by offering the opportunity to join after school hours clubs.

Bullying and getting to school safely

There was a time where I got punched right outside of school grounds and the school didn't really do anything to address it - furthermore, I've heard of multiple other students having issues with bullying that did not get addressed properly by staff. I would not recommend this school if you think your child is a high risk of being targeted for bullying.

Camps and excursions

Modern, with a very high focus on inclusivity and lgbtq movements and the likes of that.

Something only students would know

We always throw our brown shoes on top of the branches of a big tree when we graduate.

Coaching and chances to compete

I do not think the school pushed sport hard enough or provided enough opportunities. They should have encouraged more people to play more sports and signed up for more competitions.

Chances to take part in the arts

It was very enjoyable and the staff were very passionate about what they were teaching.

  • Played sport: Yes
  • Sports played: Volleyball
  • Did an arts activity: Yes
  • Arts activities done: Drama / Theatre
  • Emphasis on academics ◆◆◆◇◇
  • Quality of academic resources ◆◆◆◆◇
  • How healthy the tuckshop is ◆◇◇◇◇
  • Investment in sports facilities ◆◆◆◇◇
  • Quality of arts teachers ◆◆◆◆◇
  • Focus on showcasing talent ◆◆◆◆◇
Anonymous · Alum · Graduated recently (2022, 2023, 2024)
Free preview

Would you recommend it?

Many of the teachers are engaging and passionate about their subjects and it really shows in the way they teach their students

What had the biggest impact

My maths teacher was the perfect balance of fun and teaching, every class was incredibly fun but also incredibly productive

Show moreShow less

Year 12 subject choices

I chose General English, Mathematical Methods, Physics, Chemistry, Biology and Legal Studies. I regret not doing Specialist mathematics as it would have been much more beneficial to me now, however at the time I didn’t want too much if a workload

Getting extra help

Teachers made themselves available during most breaks for students who needed help they also provided tutoring after school

Readiness for life after school

I felt very prepared for the path I was talking which was University, I was equipped with all the necessary skills like note taking, studying etc.

Subject range and curiosity

The school offered a variety of subjects from stem related subjects to a while host of humanities subjects to even subjects such as woodworks for those who wanted to go down the trades path, many assessments were engaging and practical with many choices of topic to encourage students to find what they wanted to write about and be creative

Bullying and getting to school safely

During my time I never saw or heard if much bullying but I do know that the school was incredibly harsh on bullying which likely acted as a deterrent

Camps and excursions

School culture could definitely be described as relaxed and modern with lots being invested in new facilities and students given plenty of freedom

Something only students would know

After graduating all the year 12’s throw their shoes into a big tree on the oval

Coaching and chances to compete

Coaches let us run our own teams and when we made it to higher competitions consolidated the best players of both teams into one giving us the opportunity to compete at higher levels

Chances to take part in the arts

There were lots of music programs as the school has a reputable music program and many of my friends participated and enjoyed the programs

  • Played sport: Yes
  • Sports played: Football (Soccer)
  • Did an arts activity: No
  • Emphasis on academics ◆◆◆◇◇
  • Quality of academic resources ◆◆◆◆◇
  • How healthy the tuckshop is ◆◆◇◇◇
  • Investment in sports facilities ◆◆◆◇◇
  • Quality of arts teachers ◆◆◆◇◇
  • Focus on showcasing talent ◆◆◆◆◇
Loading reviews…

Why trust these reviews

Verified people, unedited opinions

Stories, not scores

We don't rank schools or average them into a single star rating. Each review is a personal experience of what a school is actually like. League tables can't tell you that.

Nothing softened

We don't edit opinions and schools can't pay to remove reviews. The good, the mixed and the frustrating all stay up.

Privacy protected

Reviewers choose how they're identified. We verify who they are. Readers only see what they choose to share.

Keep researching

Other schools families compare with Ferny Grove SHS

Still weighing it up? Read the full stories from the families first.

Public school reviews are free with a free account. One $289 pass unlocks every private school review on the site: one payment, no subscription, 14-day money-back guarantee.

Create your free account