, motto_translation = With Heart and Soul , established = , type =

Independent Independent or Independents may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Artist groups * Independents (artist group), a group of modernist painters based in the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

, day and boarding , gender =

Girls A girl is a young female human, usually a child or an adolescent. When a girl becomes an adult, she is accurately described as a '' woman''. However, the term ''girl'' is also used for other meanings, including ''young woman'',Dictionar ...

, educational_authority = , oversight = , district = , denomination = , slogan = , headmaster = Andrew Powell , street_address = , location = , streetaddress = 188 New South Head Road , city = Edgecliff , state =

New South Wales ) , nickname = , image_map = New South Wales in Australia.svg , map_caption = Location of New South Wales in AustraliaCoordinates: , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = Australia , established_title = Before federation , es ...

, postcode = 2027 , country = Australia , coordinates = , pushpin_map = Australia Sydney#New South Wales#Australia , pushpin_image = , pushpin_mapsize = 240 , pushpin_map_alt = , pushpin_map_caption = Location in Sydney,

, pushpin_label = , pushpin_label_position = , enrolment = 1,181 , enrolment_as_of = 2019 , grades = K– 12 , grades_label = Years , teaching_staff = 127.1 FTE (2019) , campus type =

Urban area An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities, ...

, campus size = , affiliations = , colours = Navy blue, red and khaki
, homepage = 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 the New Hope, Pennsylvania, area of the United States during the early 1930s * Independe ...

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. Overview The term has been used in the context of various faiths including Jainism, Baháʼí Fait ...

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

, 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 cent ...

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 Helen Parkhurst (March 8, 1886 – June 1, 1973) was an American educator, author, lecturer, the originator of the Dalton Plan, founder of the Dalton School and host of ''Child's World with Helen Parkhurst'' on ABC Television Network. Parkh ...

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 Septe ...

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 association for independent girls' schools, based in North Ryde, New South Wales, Australia. Established in 1916 as The Association of Head Mistresses of New South Wales, ...

(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, day and boarding school for girls, in a

terrace house In architecture and city planning, a terrace or terraced house ( UK) or townhouse ( US) is a form of medium-density housing that originated in Europe in the 16th century, whereby a row of attached dwellings share side walls. In the United Stat ...

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

Roger Ascham Roger Ascham (; c. 151530 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, ...

, 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. Elizabeth was the last of the five House of Tudor monarchs and is sometimes referred to as the "Virgin Queen". Eli ...

. 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.

School crest

The Ascham school crest was developed in 1911 by Ascham

art Art is a diverse range of human activity, and resulting product, that involves creative or imaginative talent expressive of technical proficiency, beauty, emotional power, or conceptual ideas. There is no generally agreed definition of wha ...

teacher,

Albert Collins Albert Gene Drewery, known as Albert Collins and the Ice Man (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. ...

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

dolphin A dolphin is an aquatic mammal within the infraorder Cetacea. Dolphin species belong to the families Delphinidae (the oceanic dolphins), Platanistidae (the Indian river dolphins), Iniidae (the New World river dolphins), Pontoporiidae (t ...

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, or oaknut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives (genera '' Quercus'' and ''Lithocarpus'', in the family Fagaceae). It usually contains one seed (occasionally two seeds), enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and bo ...

and

eucalyptus ''Eucalyptus'' () is a genus of over seven hundred species of Flowering plant, flowering trees, shrubs or Mallee (habit), mallees in the Myrtaceae, myrtle Family (biology), family, Myrtaceae. Along with several other genera in the Tribe (biology) ...

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 is a means of teaching 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 ...

. ;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 (''O Lord Direct us'') , established = 1894 , closed = , type = Independent day school , religion = , president = , head_label = Headmistress , head = Jenny Brown , r_head_label = ...

London London is the capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary dow ...

;

Havergal College Havergal College is an independent 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. ...

Toronto Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most pop ...

;

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 of t ...

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

; Northlands School in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...

;

Durban Girls' College , motto_translation = Without God, all is in vain , pushpin_map = Durban , coordinates = , established = 1877 , type = Independent, boarding , locale = Urban , grades = 00 - 12 , principal1 = Heidi Rea , principal_label1 = Executive H ...

Durban Durban ( ) ( zu, eThekwini, from meaning 'the port' also called zu, eZibubulungwini for the mountain range that terminates in the area), nicknamed ''Durbs'',Ishani ChettyCity nicknames in SA and across the worldArticle on ''news24.com'' from ...

; Institut de la Tour in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. ...

, St. George's School,

Edinburgh Edinburgh ( ; gd, Dùn Èideann ) is the capital city of Scotland and one of its 32 Council areas of Scotland, council areas. Historically part of the county of Midlothian (interchangeably Edinburghshire before 1921), it is located in Lothian ...

Scotland Scotland (, ) is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Covering the northern third of the island of Great Britain, mainland Scotland has a border with England to the southeast and is otherwise surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean to th ...

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

Penny Meagher Elma Penelope Meagher (1935 – 5 Jun 1995), better known as Penny Meagher, was an Australian painter. Penny Meagher was born in Sydney, and started drawing from an early age. She was educated at Ascham School, Edgecliff and Frensham School, ...

(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 Sheridan Jobbins (born 2 July 1960) is an Australian journalist, television presenter and screenwriter. Life and career Jobbins was born in Melbourne, Australia. She was educated at Ascham School, Edgecliff. She is a third generation Australian ...

(1960– ), a journalist, presenter and screenwriter *

Jill Kitson Jill Kitson (10 January 1939 – 13 May 2013) was an Australian radio broadcaster and literary journalist. Jill Middleton Cameron was born an only child in Sydney. She attended Ascham School, becoming school captain, then majored in history and ...

(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 (1897–1943), an actress * Marta Dusseldorp (1973– ), an actress * Joanna McCallum (1950– ), an actress * Poppy Montgomery (1972– ), an actress * Lesley Piddington (1925–2016) * Wendy Playfair (1926– ), an actress *

Lynn Rainbow Lynn Carol Rainbow-Reid (born 19 September 1942) credited also as Lynne Rainbow, is an Australian-based former theatre and television actor who was educated at Ascham School, The Sorbonne and Dante Alighieri in Italy. Lynn was the daughter ...

(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, w ...

(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, singer and songwriter. After independently releasing her debut single, " Somebody Loves You" (2012), and her debut extended play, '' The ...

(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 Belinda Jane Hutchinson (born 4 August 1953) is an Australian businessperson, accountant and philanthropist. Education Hutchinson graduated from the University of Sydney with a Bachelor of Economics degree in 1976. Career She was a member of ...

(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 Allegra Spender is an Australian politician and businesswoman who is the member of parliament for Wentworth since 2022. She is the third generation of her family to sit in federal parliament, after her grandfather Percy and father John. One ...

(1978– ), a businessperson and politician * Shemara Wikramanayake (1962– ), a businessperson

Education

Joan Bernard Joan Constance Churchill Bernard, FRSA (6 April 1918 – 1 August 2012) was Principal of Trevelyan College, University of Durham from its foundation in 1966 to 1978. During World War II, she was an officer of the Auxiliary Territorial Service and w ...

(1918–2012), the founding principal of

Trevelyan College , motto_English = Truth more readily than falsehood , scarf = , named_for = George Macaulay Trevelyan , namesake = George Macaulay Trevelyan , established = 1966 , principal = Adekunle Adeyeye , vice_principal = ...

, 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 Lavinia Chrystal (born 5 March 1989 in Camperdown, Australia) is an alpine skier from Australia. She competed for Australia at the 2014 Winter Olympics in the alpine skiing events. Chrystal attended Ascham School , motto_translation = With ...

(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