Ravenswood School for Girls

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Ravenswood School for Girls
File:Ravenswood School for Girls Logo.png
Latin: Semper ad meliora
Always towards better things
Location
Gordon, New South Wales
Australia
Coordinates Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
Information
Type Independent, Girls, Day and Boarding
Denomination Uniting Church[1]
Established 1901[2]
Chairman Mark Webb
Principal Vicky Steer
Employees ~209[3]
Key people Mabel Fidler (Founder)
Enrolment ~1100 (K–12)[4]
Colour(s) Navy Blue, Gold and Red         
Slogan "Ravenswood widens her world"
Website www.ravenswood.nsw.edu.au
File:RavenswoodSchool.JPG
Ravenswood

Ravenswood School for Girls (often referred to as Ravenswood) is an independent, Uniting Church, day and boarding school for K-12 girls, situated in Gordon, an Upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

Established in 1901 by Mabel Fidler (1871–1960),[5] Ravenswood currently caters for approximately 1100 students from Kindergarten to Year 12, including 20 boarders from Years 10 to 12.[4] The school has been an IB World School since June 2004, and is authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme.[6]

Ravenswood is affiliated with the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA),[7] the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA),[8] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association,[9] the Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia,[10] and is a member of the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS).[11]

History

Ravenswood was established with eight students on 28 January 1901 by the first Headmistress, Mabel Fidler, as a non-sectarian private day school for girls, with preparatory classes for boys. The first classes took place in a schoolroom erected on the block adjacent to Fidler's home, "Ravenswood", in Henry Street, Gordon. The school remains on this site.[12]

Fidler retired from Ravenswood in 1925, a year after the school was purchased by the Methodist Ladies' College, Burwood, thus becoming a school of the Methodist Church. Subsequently, the school name was changed to Ravenswood Methodist Ladies' College.[12] At this time, Ravenswood was the largest non-residential, private secondary school in Sydney, with an enrolment of 180, and was highly regarded for the quality of its teaching and its achievements in sport.[5] Ravenswood became a day and boarding school in 1935, with the enrolment of the first two boarders.[12]

The 1960s saw the introduction of the school anthem, Kindle the Flame and a fourth school House, all houses being named by the students after Royal Houses of Britain: Stuart, Tudor, Windsor and York.[12] In 1975, as the Methodist, Presbyterian and Congregational Churches came together to form the Uniting Church, the school name changed to the current Ravenswood School for Girls. The royal blue and gold uniform was also introduced at this time.[12]

In its Centenary Year in 2001, the school celebrated with the official opening of The Centenary Centre for Performing Arts, by Sir William Deane, Governor-General of Australia. Further change was seen on 5 September 2007, with the introduction of a new school uniform that reflects the original navy blue and gold Ravenswood colours.

In 2015, the Head Girl of the school used her end-of-term speech to accuse the school of peddling an "unrealistic image of perfection", and providing some students with more opportunities than others because "schools are being run more and more like businesses, where everything becomes financially motivated, where more value is placed on those who provide good publicity or financial benefits."[13] She also alleged that the school had attempted to censor her speech by requiring prior copies. [14] However, previous school captains criticised her speech.[15] Her parents later sued the the Uniting Church, which runs the school, because of disciplinary action taken against their younger daughter.[16]

Principals

Period Details[11]
1901 – 1925 Miss Mabel Fidler, Founder
1926 Miss Ethelwyn Potts
1927 – 1928 Miss Clarice Ashworth
1928 – 1931 Miss Francis Craig
1932 – 1961 Miss Kathleen Crago
1962 – 1986 Miss Phyllis Evans
1987 – 1992 Miss Coral Dixon
1993 – 2004 Mrs Lorraine Smith
2005 – 2015 Ms Vicki Steer
2016 – Present Mrs Anne Johnstone

Campus

File:Ravenswood School for Girls.jpg
Mabel Fidler Building, Ravenswood School for Girls by BVN Architecture

Ravenswood is located on its original site, a single campus in suburban Gordon. The school has progressively expanded since 1901, with the acquisition of new properties and the upgrading of facilities.[17]

The school grounds feature quadrangles and courtyards, a multi-purpose complex with heated swimming pool, gymnasium, a "Strength and Conditioning centre" and an Athletics Field. The Ravenswood Centenary Centre includes a Performing Arts theatre, music centre and exhibition areas.[17] Junior School students are catered for within the Junior School centre with a Resource Centre, playground and play equipment area, adventure playground and Assembly Hall.[17]

Curriculum

In Years 11 and 12, students may choose to take either the Higher School Certificate (HSC) course or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Course (IB).[6]

Co-curriculum

Debating

Ravenswood has a tradition of debating,[citation needed] and students are offered opportunities to participate at competitive or social levels. Ravenswood competes in three inter-school debating competitions: the Independent Schools Debating Association (ISDA), the Archdale Debating Competition and the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA). Girls may also participate in House debating.[18]

Sport

Primary School students may partake in competitive sport through the Ravenswood's membership of the Independent primary schools Association of Australia (IPSHA). These competitions are usually held on Saturday mornings and include sports such as: Softball, Tennis, Netball, Cricket, Hockey, and Soccer. Secondary School students compete against 28 other similar type schools in the Independent Girls' Schools Sporting Association (IGSSA) competition. These competitions occur on Saturday mornings or in the form of carnivals and include sports such as: Softball, Swimming, Diving, Cricket, Tennis, Hockey, Soccer and Gymnastics. Students who perform well at IPSHA or IGSSA level may be invited to compete in NSW Combined Independent Schools' (CIS) competitions.[18]

Community

The school has been noted for its contributions towards equality for women.[citation needed] In 2001, Ravenswood was the only school in Australia to be short-listed for the Most Innovative Practice for the Advancement of Women Award.[citation needed] It is also one of a small number of companies to be nominated for an Employer of Choice for Women classification by the Equal Opportunity for Women in the Workplace Agency (EOWA).[19]

Notable alumnae

Media, entertainment and the arts
Medicine and science
  • Grace Cuthbert-Browne, MBE, doctor and Director of Maternal and Baby Welfare in the New South Wales Department of Public Health from 1937 to 1964.
Politics, public service and the law
Sports

See also

References

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  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  7. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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  11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  12. ↑ 12.0 12.1 12.2 12.3 12.4 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  13. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  14. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  15. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  16. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  17. ↑ 17.0 17.1 17.2 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  18. ↑ 18.0 18.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  19. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
  20. ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.

External links

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