Ascham School
Encyclopedia
Ascham School is an independent
, non-denominational, day
and boarding
school for girls', located in Edgecliff
, an Eastern Suburb
of Sydney
, New South Wales
, Australia.
Established in 1886, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently has approximately 1000 students from Kindergarten
to Year 12, including 100 boarders from Years 6 to 12.
Ascham is one of the few schools worldwide to follow the 'Dalton Plan
', an educational philosophy created by Helen Parkhurst
in 1916. The 'Dalton Plan' aims to produce independent and confident leaders.
The basis of Dalton is an independent, self-directed, assignment-based learning. The aim is to facilitate independent thinking, the development of research skills and creativity.
The individualised instruction considers the needs of the student and provides her with a structure to control the pace at which she progresses.
Students receive weekly assignments and a proportion of lesson times is spent in 'studies' or conversations with each other about progress in the week's work.
It is the study which teaches the students to be responsible for their own learning , how to test ideas and ask questions in the language of that subject.
Ascham's Dalton Plan allows flexible timetabling so that any combination of subjects is possible.
Ascham is a member of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools (Australasia), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, and the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
(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.
, day and boarding school for girls, in a terrace house 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
, tutor to Queen Elizabeth I.
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 Miss Margaret Bailey. This transferred ownership of the school from herself to ensure the long-term succession of the school.
teacher, Mr Albert Collins. Symbols on the crest were explained in the school's Charivari magazine in December 1911: the dolphin
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
and eucalyptus
seed mark the historical union of Britain and Australia.
Infant School
The youngest students, from Kindergarten to Year 2, at Ascham 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
.
Junior School
Students from Years 3 to 6 are housed 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 serves students from Year 7 to Year 12. They are taught according to the Dalton Plan
. This method gives the older students increased flexibility whilst placing on them the responsibility to learn and participate in the school's numerous academic and cultural opportunities.
In all, the Campus hosts the state-of-the-art Packer Theatre, a studio theatre, an indoor heated pool, a gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, IT
facilities, art rooms, science laboratories and three libraries.
in London
; Havergal College
in Toronto
; Nightingale-Bamford School
in New York
; Northlands
in Buenos Aires
; Durban Girls' College
in Durban
; Institut de la Tour in Paris
, St. George's School
, Edinburgh
, Scotland
as well as with Xi'an University in China
.
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 grand-daughters 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.
Business
Entertainment, media and the arts
Independent school
An independent school is a school that is independent in its finances and governance; it is not dependent upon national or local government for financing its operations, nor reliant on taxpayer contributions, and is instead funded by a combination of tuition charges, gifts, and in some cases the...
, non-denominational, day
Day school
A day school—as opposed to a boarding school—is an institution where children are given educational instruction during the day and after which children/teens return to their homes...
and boarding
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...
school for girls', located in Edgecliff
Edgecliff, New South Wales
Edgecliff is a small suburb in the Eastern Suburbs of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Edgecliff is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of the Municipality of Woollahra. The postcode is 2027.Edgecliff is surrounded by...
, an Eastern Suburb
Eastern Suburbs (Sydney)
The Eastern Suburbs is a general term used to describe the metropolitan area directly to the east and south-east of the Sydney central business district in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Eastern Suburbs can refer to the suburbs within the local government areas of Woollahra, Waverley, Dover...
of Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Australia.
Established in 1886, the school has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently has approximately 1000 students from Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
to Year 12, including 100 boarders from Years 6 to 12.
Ascham is one of the few schools worldwide to follow the 'Dalton Plan
Dalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
', an educational philosophy created by Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst
Helen Parkhurst was an American educator, author, lecturer, the originator of the Dalton Plan and the founder of The Dalton School....
in 1916. The 'Dalton Plan' aims to produce independent and confident leaders.
The basis of Dalton is an independent, self-directed, assignment-based learning. The aim is to facilitate independent thinking, the development of research skills and creativity.
The individualised instruction considers the needs of the student and provides her with a structure to control the pace at which she progresses.
Students receive weekly assignments and a proportion of lesson times is spent in 'studies' or conversations with each other about progress in the week's work.
It is the study which teaches the students to be responsible for their own learning , how to test ideas and ask questions in the language of that subject.
Ascham's Dalton Plan allows flexible timetabling so that any combination of subjects is possible.
Ascham is a member of the Alliance of Girls’ Schools (Australasia), the Junior School Heads Association of Australia
Junior School Heads Association of Australia
The Independent Primary School Heads of Australia formerly Junior School Heads Association of Australia , is an incorporated body representing the heads of independent primary schools in Australia....
the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), the Australian Boarding Schools' Association, and the Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools
The Association of Heads of Independent Girls' Schools , is an association for private girls' schools, based in North Ryde, in the Northern Suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia....
(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 Miss Marie Wallis, as a privatePrivate school
Private schools, also known as independent schools or nonstate schools, are not administered by local, state or national governments; thus, they retain the right to select their students and are funded in whole or in part by charging their students' tuition, rather than relying on mandatory...
, day and boarding school for girls, in a terrace house in Darling Point
Darling Point, New South Wales
Darling Point is a harbourside, eastern suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Darling Point is located 4 kilometres east of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of Woollahra Council....
.The school moved to its current site following the acquisition of Glenrock estate in 1911. The school was named after Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham
Roger Ascham was an English scholar and didactic writer, famous for his prose style, his promotion of the vernacular, and his theories of education...
, tutor to Queen Elizabeth I.
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 Miss 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 artArt
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
teacher, Mr Albert Collins. Symbols on the crest were explained in the school's Charivari magazine in December 1911: the dolphin
Dolphin
Dolphins are marine mammals that are closely related to whales and porpoises. There are almost forty species of dolphin in 17 genera. They vary in size from and , up to and . They are found worldwide, mostly in the shallower seas of the continental shelves, and are carnivores, mostly eating...
s symbolise energy, persistence and the ability to swim against, as well as with, the tide; the wings suggest aspiration and ambition; the lamp
Oil lamp
An oil lamp is an object used to produce light continuously for a period of time using an oil-based fuel source. The use of oil lamps began thousands of years ago and is continued to this day....
and book represent learning; and the combination of the acorn
Acorn
The acorn, or oak nut, is the nut of the oaks and their close relatives . It usually contains a single seed , enclosed in a tough, leathery shell, and borne in a cup-shaped cupule. Acorns vary from 1–6 cm long and 0.8–4 cm broad...
and eucalyptus
Eucalyptus
Eucalyptus is a diverse genus of flowering trees in the myrtle family, Myrtaceae. Members of the genus dominate the tree flora of Australia...
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 Kindergarten to Year 2, at Ascham 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
Spalding Method
The Spalding Method is the methodology and educational philosophy of The Writing Road to Reading program. The Spalding philosophy is child centered, that is the physical and mental well-being of students is a primary concern of Spalding teachers. High expectations for all children are central to...
.
Junior School
Students from Years 3 to 6 are housed 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 serves students from Year 7 to Year 12. They are taught according to the Dalton Plan
Dalton Plan
The Dalton Plan is an educational concept created by Helen Parkhurst.Inspired by the intellectual ferment at the turn of the 19th century, educational thinkers such as Maria Montessori and John Dewey began to cast a bold vision of a new progressive approach to education...
. This method gives the older students increased flexibility whilst placing on them the responsibility to learn and participate in the school's numerous academic and cultural opportunities.
In all, the Campus hosts the state-of-the-art Packer Theatre, a studio theatre, an indoor heated pool, a gymnasium, tennis courts, playing fields, IT
Information technology
Information technology is the acquisition, processing, storage and dissemination of vocal, pictorial, textual and numerical information by a microelectronics-based combination of computing and telecommunications...
facilities, art rooms, science laboratories and three libraries.
Exchange programme
Ascham has exchange programmes with the following girls schools; St Paul's Girls' SchoolSt Paul's Girls' School
St Paul's Girls' School is a senior independent school, located in Brook Green, Hammersmith, in West London, England.-History:In 1904 a new day school for girls was established by the trustees of the Dean Colet Foundation , which had run St Paul's School for boys since the sixteenth century...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
; Havergal College
Havergal College
Havergal College is an independent boarding and day school for girls from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 12 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada.Named for English hymn composer, author and humanitarian Frances Ridley Havergal, the school was founded in 1894 by a group of men led by The Honourable H...
in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
; Nightingale-Bamford School
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, NBS is one of the top ranked private schools in New York City and among one of the...
in New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
; Northlands
Northlands
Northlands is a non-profit, volunteer organization in Edmonton, Alberta. It was founded in 1879, before the official incorporation of the city of Edmonton, or the province of Alberta....
in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
; Durban Girls' College
Durban Girls' College
Durban Girls' College is a private boarding and day school for girls located on the Berea, overlooking the city of Durban in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.-History:...
in Durban
Durban
Durban is the largest city in the South African province of KwaZulu-Natal and the third largest city in South Africa. It forms part of the eThekwini metropolitan municipality. Durban is famous for being the busiest port in South Africa. It is also seen as one of the major centres of tourism...
; Institut de la Tour in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
, St. George's School
St. George's School, Edinburgh
St. George's School is an all-girls independent school situated in Ravelston, Edinburgh, Scotland.The curriculum is based on the Scottish education system but also uses aspects of the English education system, for example A-Levels are available in sixth form....
, Edinburgh
Edinburgh
Edinburgh is the capital city of Scotland, the second largest city in Scotland, and the eighth most populous in the United Kingdom. The City of Edinburgh Council governs one of Scotland's 32 local government council areas. The council area includes urban Edinburgh and a rural area...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
as well as with Xi'an University in China
China
Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...
.
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.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 grand-daughters 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.
Headmistresses / Headmasters
- Miss Marie Wallis (founder) 1886 - 1902
- Mr Herbert J. CarterHerbert James CarterHerbert James Carter was an English-born Australian schoolmaster and entomologist.-Early life:Carter was born at Marlborough, Wiltshire, England, the son of James Carter, farmer, and his wife Mary Ann, née Freeman. He was educated at Aldenham school, Hertfordshire and at Jesus College, Cambridge...
1902 - 1914 - Miss Margaret Ann Montgomery BaileyMargaret Ann Montgomery BaileyMargaret Ann Montgomery Bailey was the headmistress of Ascham School in Edgecliff, New South Wales. She was born at Toowoomba, Queensland, was the eldest child of John Bailey, grazier, and his wife Jane, née McCurdy. She introduced the Dalton Plan into Ascham School in 1923.- References :...
1914 - 1946 - Dr Hilda Rayward 1947 - 1948
- Miss Dorothy Whitehead 1949 - 1961
- Miss Merrilee Roberts 1962 - 1972
- Mrs Rowena Danziger 1973 - 2003
- Miss Susan Preedy 2004 - 2005 (resigned)
- Mrs Rowena Danziger 2005 (acting, resigned)
- Mrs Frances Booth (acting) 2005
- Mrs Louise Robert-Smith 2006 -
Notable alumnae
Some notable 'Old Girls' of the school include:Business
- Mia FreedmanMia FreedmanMia Freedman is an journalist, columnist, author, blogger and media consultant.-Early life:Freedman was born to Kathy, a psychologist and art gallery owner, and Laurence Freedman, who worked in finance and currently heads The Freedman Foundation. Her father came to Australia to flee the apartheid...
- Editor-in-Chief at ACP for publications such as Dolly and Cosmopolitan magazines
Entertainment, media and the arts
- Jocelyn HowarthConstance WorthConstance Worth was an Australian actress who became a Hollywood star in the late 1930s.-Early life and career:...
- actress - Sheridan JobbinsSheridan JobbinsSheridan Jobbins is an Australian journalist, television presenter and screenwriter.-Life and career:Jobbins was born in Melbourne, Australia. She was educated at Ascham School Edgecliff...
- actress, journalist, television presenter and screenwriter (remembered for her role in Simon Townsend's Wonder WorldSimon Townsend's Wonder WorldSimon Townsend's Wonder World! was a multi-award–winning Australian children's television show that aired on the Ten Network from 1979 until 1986...
) - Joanna McCallumJoanna McCallumJoanna McCallum is a British theatre, film and television actress. She is the daughter of British actress Googie Withers and Australian actor John McCallum...
- actress - Penny MeagherPenny MeagherElma Penelope Meagher , 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, Darling Point and Frensham School, Mittagong. She studied economics at the University of Sydney. In 1952, she...
- painter - Poppy MontgomeryPoppy MontgomeryPoppy Montgomery , is an Australian actress. She is best known for her role as Samantha Spade on Without a Trace...
- actress - Lesley Piddington - actress
- Wendy PlayfairWendy PlayfairWendy Playfair is an Australian actress, best known for her role as Minnie Donovan in the television series Prisoner. She was educated at the prestigious Ascham School in Sydney....
- actress; including parts in Prisoner, East of Eden and Ride a Wild Pony - Shirley Ann RichardsAnn Richards (actress)Ann Richards was an Australian actress, who achieved notability in Australian films as Shirley Ann Richards before moving to the United States where she continued her career as a film actress, mainly as an MGM starlet....
- actress - Margaret VynerMargaret VynerMargaret Vyner was an Australian-born film actress who appeared in British films. She was married to the film director Hugh Williams.-Selected filmography:* Sensation * Sailing Along * This Man Is Dangerous...
- model, film and stage actress, dramatist - Arkie WhiteleyArkie WhiteleyArkie Deya Whiteley was an Australian actress who appeared in television and films.Arkie Whiteley's parents were the renowned artist Brett Whiteley and his wife Wendy Whiteley...
- actress and daughter of painter Brett WhiteleyBrett WhiteleyBrett Whiteley, AO was an Australian artist. He is represented in the collections of all the large Australian galleries, and was twice winner of the Archibald Prize...