An innovative approach to learning at Ravenswood School for Girls

As the academic year draws to a close, Year 12 students at Ravenswood School for Girls, one of Australia’s leading independent girls’ schools, are ready to step into a world of opportunities. This Uniting Church, Prep to Year 12, multi award-winning Positive Education and Wellbeing School also offers Boarding from Year 7 and is the only school on the Upper North Shore to offer students a flexible choice of the HSC or the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma. Ravenswood also uses the framework of the Primary Years Program in the Junior School and is renowned for its unique approach to learning and student wellbeing.

The success of Ravenswood graduates

Their 2021 and 2022 graduates have gained entry to Harvard University, the University of Oxford, Princeton, New York University, the Imperial College London as well as the Royal College of Music. In the last two years, seven students have received the highest possible ATAR of 99.95.

In 2022, one Ravenswood HSC student achieved the highest possible ATAR of 99.95, one of just 48 students across the state to achieve this rank. Four Ravenswood students also achieved perfect scores in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme, placing them in the top 1 per cent of IB students in the world. This is the highest number of perfect scores achieved by a Ravenswood cohort since the commencement of the IB Diploma Programme at the school in 2005.

In 2023, six HSC students achieved ATARs over 99, 11 students were recognised on the HSC All-Round Achievers list and a student achieved First in Course list in Chinese in Context, recognised on the HSC Top Achievers in Course. The 2023 HSC Dux and School Captain was also recognised on the HSC Top Achievers in Course, achieving third in NSW in English Extension 1 and 14^th in NSW in English Advanced. The HSC Class of 2023 also received a historically high 21 HSC Showcase nominations in Music, Design and Technology, Textiles, Visual Arts, Dance and Drama, with three students selected.

Principal Mrs Anne Johnstone

Ravenswood Principal Anne Johnstone

At the core of Ravenswood’s philosophy is the belief that wellbeing and academic success are intertwined. Under the leadership of Principal Mrs Anne Johnstone, an acclaimed figure in Positive Education who holds a master’s degree in Positive Education from the University of Pennsylvania, the school has received numerous accolades for its innovative approach to student wellbeing. Anne’s contributions to the field have been recognised with several awards, highlighting her commitment to fostering a nurturing and supportive learning environment.

Anne has also been selected for the Most Influential Educators 2023 List by The Educator as an education professional who has had the strongest impact in creating a reformative teaching and learning culture in the last 18 months.

Anne is the Chair and a founding Board Member of the National Positive Education in Schools Association and the Vice-Chair of the International Positive Education Network. She is also Chair of the Leadership Centre Council for the Association of Independent Schools NSW.

Ravenswood Positive Education program

Ravenswood’s Positive Education program focuses on developing key character strengths such as resilience, optimism, and compassion. These traits are integral to students’ overall development and success. The school’s commitment to this approach has been acknowledged with multiple Excellence Awards, including recognition for the Best Student Wellbeing Program. The School has also received five, 5-Star Innovative School Award by the Educator in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2022 and 2023, which recognise schools that have demonstrated innovation and creativity.

Recognised as a leading school in the area of Positive Education, Ravenswood was the first school in New South Wales to adopt a Visible Wellbeing approach. This approach is implemented by a dedicated team of educators and support staff, ensuring a comprehensive support system for every student.

Ravenswood girls often refer to the keen sense of belonging they experience and the warmth of the School’s atmosphere. Complementing the curriculum, Positive Education offers a range of evidence-based approaches from the field of Positive Psychology that promote wellbeing. These are delivered through interventions, programs and practices that actively cultivate the dispositions of optimism, resilience, grit and compassion for others, as well as the importance of strengths-based language in our daily interactions.

In 2023, Mrs Anne Johnstone opened an innovative Wellbeing Path, an 800-metre continuous loop within the campus perimeter with inspirational quotes and bespoke art installations made from sustainable materials created by renowned environmental artist and Ravenswood Alumni Jennifer Turpin. It provides an opportunity for students and staff to enjoy the benefits of exercising in nature which supports physical and mental health, along with learning. It encourages students to take time during breaks or even, through guided lessons, to walk and talk together, and enjoy the beauty of their natural surroundings on campus through savouring and mindfulness.

Global perspectives and diverse opportunities

Ravenswood’s Global Experience and Social Justice Programs offer students a broad worldview, fostering intercultural understanding and empathy through overseas and interstate educational visits, the study of languages and exchange programs.

Performing Arts at Ravenswood

The School’s “sport for all” philosophy promotes both inclusiveness and the physical and mental wellbeing aspects of sport. Students have access to an extensive and dynamic performing arts curricular and co-curricular program across Music, Drama, Dance, Speech and Technical Theatre. The school offers more than 100 co-curricular options across a broad range of domains, providing girls with endless opportunities to explore their passions outside the classroom from Acro Dance to AFL and Theatresports to Tennis. Ravenswood was the first girls’ school on Sydney’s North Shore to offer Cadets in partnership with the Knox Grammar School Cadet Unit.

Ravenswood: Location

Ravenswood is located in Gordon, Sydney’s picturesque and leafy upper North Shore, 15 kilometres from Sydney’s city centre and within five-minute walk of the main train line. It is also home to the newly launched Ravenswood Prep, which exemplifies the school’s innovative spirit, blending various educational approaches to create a unique learning experience for younger students.

Ravenswood also offers a private bus service that provides safe and convenient transport of Junior School and Senior School Ravenswood girls to and from school. Regular public bus services also operate from Gordon to St Ives, West Pymble, West Gordon, East Killara, Macquarie and the Northern Beaches.

Ravenswood students enjoy beautiful, idyllic grounds and award-winning, world-class facilities. Ravenswood also offers a range of scholarships across academic, music, all-round achievement, and boarding.

Register now: Ravenswood Open Day 2024

Register now to attend a Ravenswood Discovery Tour or Open Day in 2024 to find out why Ravenswood is recognised as a leading girls’ school in Positive Education, both nationally and globally – and one of Australia’s top schools academically.

Meet the dynamic award-winning Principal Mrs Anne Johnstone, and Deputy Principal – Head of Junior School Ms Sarah Guy, as you discover why Ravenswood Prep to Year 12 day and boarding School is one of Australia’s leading independent girls’ schools.

Learn how Ravenswood provides flexibility and choice, catering for individual preference by offering both the Higher School Certificate (HSC) and International Baccalaureate (IB), with teaching and learning delivering academic excellence.

Experience a day in the life of a Ravenswood girl through exploring our world-class, award-winning facilities during student-led campus tours, with Ravenswood Junior School and Senior School located on the one idyllic, convenient campus on Sydney’s North Shore close to Gordon train station.

Click here to book a Discovery Tour or Open Day 2024.