Ascham School is an

independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in Pennsylvania, United States * Independentes (English: Independents), a Portuguese artist ...

non-denominational A non-denominational person or organization is one that does not follow (or is not restricted to) any particular or specific religious denomination. The term has been used in the context of various faiths, including Jainism, Baháʼí Faith, Zoro ...

day A day is the time rotation period, period of a full Earth's rotation, rotation of the Earth with respect to the Sun. On average, this is 24 hours (86,400 seconds). As a day passes at a given location it experiences morning, afternoon, evening, ...

and boarding school for girls, located in Edgecliff, an Eastern Suburb of

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, Australia. Established in 1886, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently has approximately 1000 students from

Kindergarten Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cen ...

to Year 12, including 100 boarders from Years 6 to 12. Ascham follows the '

Dalton Plan The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst. It is inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 20th century. Educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey influenced Parkhurst while she created ...

', an educational philosophy created by Helen Parkhurst in 1916. The 'Dalton Plan' aims to produce independent and confident leaders. Ascham is a member of the

Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia The Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia (abbreviated as AGSA) is a non-profit organisation that promotes the education of girls in single-sex girls' schools, and promotes the image of, and support the development of, girls' schools in Australa ...

(AGSA), the

Junior School Heads Association of Australia The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia. Officially established in Septem ...

the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, and the

Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools (AHIGS), is an Australian association for independent girls' schools, founded in New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1916 as The Association of Head Mistresses of New South Wales, t ...

(AHIGS). Ascham is operated as a not-for-profit company. All funds must be used to benefit the school. This function is administered by the school's Council of Governors who are elected by the school's members.

History

Ascham school was established in 1886 by Marie Wallis, as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

, day and boarding school for girls, in a

terrace house A terrace, terraced house ( UK), or townhouse ( US) is a type of medium-density housing which first started in 16th century Europe with a row of joined houses sharing side walls. In the United States and Canada these are sometimes known as row ...

Darling Point Darling Point is a harbourside eastern suburb of Sydney, Australia. It is 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council. Darling Point is bounded by Sydney Harbour to ...

. The school moved to its current site following the acquisition of Glenrock estate in 1911. The school was named after

Roger Ascham Roger Ascham (; 30 December 1568)"Ascham, Roger" in '' The New Encyclopædia Britannica''. Chicago: Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 15th edn., 1992, Vol. 1, p. 617. was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his pr ...

, tutor to

Queen Elizabeth I Elizabeth I (7 September 153324 March 1603) was Queen of England and Ireland from 17 November 1558 until her death in 1603. She was the last and longest reigning monarch of the House of Tudor. Her eventful reign, and its effect on history ...

. In 1914 Kathleen Gilman Jones (1880–1942) came from South Africa to be a joint head mistress at the school. She went on to lead Melbourne Church of England Girls' Grammar School. The school adopted the 'Dalton Plan' as its method of teaching in 1922. Ascham became a company, Ascham School Limited, in 1937 under the direction of Headmistress Margaret Bailey. This transferred ownership of the school from herself to ensure the long-term succession of the school. The next head who served the school for some time was Dorothy Whitehead. She had served in the war rising to the rank of temporary Major. She continued with the

, before she left in 1961 to lead Firbank Girls' Grammar School.

School crest

The Ascham school crest was developed in 1911 by Ascham

art Art is a diverse range of cultural activity centered around ''works'' utilizing creative or imaginative talents, which are expected to evoke a worthwhile experience, generally through an expression of emotional power, conceptual ideas, tec ...

teacher,

Albert Collins Albert Gene Collins (October 1, 1932 – November 24, 1993)Skeely, Richard. "Albert Collins: Biography" Allmusic.com. was an American electric blues guitarist and singer with a distinctive guitar style. He was noted for his powerful playing ...

. Symbols on the crest were explained in the school's ''Charivari'' magazine in December 1911: ''the

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal in the cetacean clade Odontoceti (toothed whale). Dolphins belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontopori ...

s symbolise energy, persistence and the ability to swim against, as well as with, the tide; the wings suggest aspiration and ambition; the lamp and book represent learning; and the combination of the

acorn The acorn is the nut (fruit), nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera ''Quercus'', ''Notholithocarpus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains a seedling surrounded by two cotyledons (seedling leaves), en ...

and

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of more than 700 species of flowering plants in the family Myrtaceae. Most species of ''Eucalyptus'' are trees, often Mallee (habit), mallees, and a few are shrubs. Along with several other genera in the tribe Eucalyp ...

seed mark the historical union of Britain and Australia''.

Campus

Ascham is composed of three school areas designed to accommodate for the different stages of the students' educational development. ;Infant School The youngest students, from Preparatory to Year 2, are taught in the Hillingdon building which has its own hall, library, classrooms and recreation area. The students at Hillingdon are taught according to the

Spalding Method The Spalding Method teaches reading by focusing first on phonics and writing. It was developed by Romalda Bishop Spalding in the late 1950s as a multi-disciplinary educational tool. References External links www.spalding.org See also *Dyslexia ...

. ;Junior School Students from Years 3 to 6 live in the Fiona building. Junior School students have access to a broad range of school subjects and co-curricular activities. ;Senior School The senior school is for students from Year 7 to Year 12. They are taught according to the Dalton Plan. This method gives the older students increased flexibility while placing on them the responsibility to learn and participate in the school's numerous academic and cultural opportunities. The campus hosts the Packer Theatre, a studio theatre, an indoor heated pool, a gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, IT facilities, art rooms, science laboratories and three libraries.

Exchange programme

Ascham has exchange programmes with the following girls schools: St Mary's Calne, UK;

City of London School for Girls The City of London School for Girls (CLSG) is a private school adjacent to the Barbican Centre, part of the Barbican Estate, in the City of London. It is the partner school of the all-boys City of London School and the City of London Freemen's ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

;

Havergal College Havergal College is a private day and boarding school for girls from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The school was established in 1894 and named for Frances Ridley Havergal, a composer, author and humanitarian. The ...

Toronto Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...

;

Nightingale-Bamford School The Nightingale-Bamford School is an independent all-female university-preparatory school founded in 1920 by Frances Nicolau Nightingale and Maya Stevens Bamford. Located in Manhattan on the Upper East Side, Nightingale-Bamford is a member ...

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

; Northlands School in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires, controlled by the government of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires, is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Argentina. It is located on the southwest of the Río de la Plata. Buenos Aires is classified as an Alpha− glob ...

;

Durban Girls' College Durban Girls' College is an independent boarding and day school for girls, with weekly boarding facilities for high school pupils, located on the Berea, overlooking the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. Notable alumnae * Lara L ...

Durban Durban ( ; , from meaning "bay, lagoon") is the third-most populous city in South Africa, after Johannesburg and Cape Town, and the largest city in the Provinces of South Africa, province of KwaZulu-Natal. Situated on the east coast of South ...

; Institut de la Tour in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, St. George's School,

Edinburgh Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. The city is located in southeast Scotland and is bounded to the north by the Firth of Forth and to the south by the Pentland Hills. Edinburgh ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

Heads

The following individuals have served as Head of School, or preceding title:

Former students

Old Girls' Union

The Ascham Old Girls' Union (AOGU) was founded in 1899 by former students of the school. It now has a membership of over 4,000 alumnae. The AOGU encourages involvement of all past students in the Ascham community and helps alumnae remain in contact with their classmates. The AOGU also funds bursaries for the daughters and granddaughters of past students. The recipients of bursaries are means-tested and reviewed annually, and also carry an obligation to uphold the ideals and values of Ascham. The AOGU released three publications per year to its members.

Notable alumnae

Arts

Creative arts

* Beatrice Bligh (1916–1973), a gardener * Penny Meagher (1935–1995), a painter

Literary arts

* Marguerite Dale (1883–1963), a playwright and feminist *

Mia Freedman Mia Freedman, also known as Mia Lavigne, (born 1 October 1971) is the co-founder of women’s digital media company Mamamia. She was the youngest editor of the Australian edition of ''Cosmopolitan'' in 1996, aged 24. Career Freedman began her ...

(1971– ), a journalist * Sheridan Jobbins (1960– ), a journalist, presenter and screenwriter * Jill Kitson (1939–2013), a literary journalist and broadcaster * Sharri Markson (1984– ), a journalist * Saturday Rosenberg (1952–1998), screenwriter and comedian * Debbie Whitmont, a journalist

Performing arts

Sylvia Breamer Sylvia Poppy Bremer (9 June 1897 – 7 June 1943), known professionally as Sylvia Breamer, was an Australian actress who appeared in American silent motion pictures beginning in 1917. Childhood and early career in Australia Sylvia Poppy Bremer ...

(1897–1943), an actress *

Marta Dusseldorp Marta Dusseldorp is an Australian stage, film and theatre actress. Her television credits include ''BlackJack'', ''Crownies'' (and its spin-off '' Janet King''), ''Jack Irish'' and '' A Place to Call Home''. She is also a producer, as co-found ...

(1973– ), an actress *

Joanna McCallum Joanna McCallum (born 27 June 1950) is an English theatre, film and television actress. Early years and personal life McCallum is the daughter of English actress Googie Withers and Australian actor John McCallum, and was born in London. Sh ...

(1950– ), an actress *

Poppy Montgomery Poppy Montgomery (born Poppy Petal Emma Elizabeth Deveraux Donahue; June 19, 1972) is an Australian-American actress. She played FBI agent Samantha Spade on the CBS mystery drama ''Without a Trace'' and Detective Carrie Wells on the CBS/ A&E p ...

(1972– ), an actress * Lesley Piddington (1925–2016) *

Wendy Playfair Wendy Playfair (born 28 August 1926) is an Australian radio, television and film character actress, best known for her roles in television serials. Playfair started her career in radio serials, but became best known for her brief stint in TV seri ...

(1926– ), an actress *

Lynn Rainbow Lynn Carol Rainbow-Reid (born 19 September 1942) credited also as Lynne Rainbow, is an actress of stage, film, television and radio, dancer and voice artist. Early life Rainbow was born to Judge Alfred Rainbow and his wife. A fourth generatio ...

(1942– ), an actress *

Ann Richards Dorothy Ann Richards (née Willis; September 1, 1933 – September 13, 2006) was an American politician who served as the 45th governor of Texas from 1991 to 1995. A Democrat, she first came to national attention as the Texas State Treasurer, ...

(1917–2006), an actress and author * Leila Waddell (1880–1932), a violinist and magician * Arkie Whiteley (1964–2001), an actress *

Betty Who Jessica Anne Newham (born 5 October 1991), known by her stage name Betty Who, is an Australian musician and singer. After independently releasing her debut single, "Somebody Loves You (Betty Who song), Somebody Loves You" (2012), and her debut ...

(1991– ), a singer and songwriter *

Constance Worth Constance Worth (born Enid Joyce Howarth; 19 August 1911 – 18 October 1963) was an Australian actress who became a Hollywood star in the late 1930s. She was also known as Jocelyn Howarth. Early life and career She was born in Sydney, Austral ...

(1911–1963), an actress

Business

* Belinda Hutchinson (1953– ), a businessperson and philanthropist * Lisa Messenger (1971– ), an entrepreneur and author * Gretel Packer (– ), an investor and philanthropist * Lady Primrose Potter (1931– ), a philanthropist * Allegra Spender (1978– ), a businessperson and politician * Shemara Wikramanayake (1962– ), CEO of Macquarie Group.

Education

* Joan Bernard (1918–2012), the founding principal of

Trevelyan College Trevelyan College (known colloquially as Trevs) is a Colleges of the University of Durham, college of Durham University, England. Founded in 1966, the college takes its name from social historian George Macaulay Trevelyan (pronounced "Trevillia ...

, University of Durham

Medicine and the sciences

* Ann Parker * Nan Waddy (1915–2015), a psychiatrist and mental health advocate

Sport

* Nikki Bishop (1973– ), an equestrian event rider who competed in the 1996 Summer Olympics * Gillian Campbell (1960– ), a rower who competed at the 1992 Summer Olympics * Paige Campbell (1996– ), a steeplechase athlete * Lavinia Chrystal (1989– ), a skier who competed at the 2014 Winter Olympics * Christine Davy (1934– ), a skier who competed at the 1956 and 1960 Winter Olympics * Kitty Mackay Hodgson (1915–1974), a swimmer who competed in the 1936 Summer Olympics * Vicki Rose Roycroft (1953– ), an equestrian rider who competed at the 1984, 1988, and 1996 Summer Olympics

References

External links

* {{Authority control Girls' schools in New South Wales Boarding schools in New South Wales Educational institutions established in 1886 Private primary schools in Sydney Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools Junior School Heads Association of Australia Member Schools 1886 establishments in Australia Alliance of Girls' Schools Australasia Private secondary schools in Sydney