Perth Modern is Western Australia's only fully academically selective public school.

In 1912, the school began offering scholarships designed to encourage students to attend regardless of their financial situations.

[6] Perth Modern School began to take in students on the basis of academic selection in 2007 for years 8, 10 and 11.

[7] The gifted program in WA is based on Francois Gagne's Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent.

Although Perth Modern has always been a co-educational school, when it initially opened in 1911, boys and girls were still kept apart in different classrooms and entrances.

[10] In 2007, a new house system was introduced to promote competition, recognition of achievement, and participation in extracurricular activities.

The houses were named after the school's first four principals: Fredrick Brown, Joseph Parsons, Noel Sampson and Talbot Downing.

All students attend Perth Modern School based on their performance in the Academic Selective Entrance Test,[12] which has been criticised for unfairly advantaging those from privileged backgrounds.

[13] When the school first opened, students studied comprehensive science and modern languages as part of their courses, in addition to classical subjects.

The college's comprehensive curriculum combines professional dance training with an academic education to tertiary level.

The Department of Education and Training previously accommodated the Graduate College of Dance at Swanbourne Senior High School.

The new school was built on land which was formerly part of the northern common in Subiaco, which had been set aside for education purposes.

The building was typical of Beasley's mixture of formality and informality, with interesting interiors serving ritualised assemblies and examinations.

Decorative exterior features included white painted cement rending to all framing, quoins, and copings.

The design and construction also featured a central landmark clock tower with a battlemented parapet, a tapering roof lantern, and dormer windows.

The roofs were designed and built with steeply pitched parapeted gables covered with tiles, and with prominent eaves and exposed ends to rafters.

Carved, sloped, roof rafters were designed to give the interior of the building an ecclesiastical feel.

[5] Other notable details of fine design and craftsmanship of west building included the stained glass transom windows and fanlights executed in Art Nouveau style at the north side of the building and inside the entrance foyer.

The west building and main hall had interim registration by the Heritage Council of WA in 1992, and it entered the State Registry of Historical Places in 2001.

The memorial was designed by William Hardwick, the Principal Architect of WA in 1920, and it is located between the Administration building and the oval.

[24] Details of the students' military service are recorded on a digital honour board on the school's website.

[29][30][31] The review was prompted by a letter sent to the Department's Director-General by 10 of the 15 board members, describing a loss of confidence in the principal, Lois Joll, due to a lack of consultation on issues including Raise the Roof.

[29][30][31] The review found fault on both sides,[29][30][31] and requested that the Department of Education clarify the role of school boards and appropriate fund allocation.

Since 2016, the year 12 cohorts have produced the highest median ranking when compared to the rest of the schools in WA (refer table below).

Perth Modern students achieved the highest all-time median ATAR score for Western Australia in 2018.