Sydney’s Cranbrook School plan to go co-ed for Year 11 and 12 revealed
One of Sydney’s most exclusive boys’ schools appears set to welcome girls for the first time in its 103-year history.
Education
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The 103-year-old Cranbrook School is set to become co-ed for Year 11 and 12 after its board released a proposal to enrol girls into senior years at the school.
In an email to parents on Monday, the $38,862 Bellevue Hill school said it would also seek to bolster the number of activities boys participated in with girls and seek feedback from the school community.
“Cranbrook will also develop a proposal to introduce co-education to Years 11 and 12 and seek community feedback on that proposal in early 2022,” the letter from school council president Jon North said.
“This will be an important step for Cranbrook and will require strong community engagement and support. The consultation process will ensure that all views are heard in determining the right approach to co-education for Cranbrook.”
“To date, we have been encouraged by support from within the School and the community to make changes that will better support our students both during their time at Cranbrook and as they move on to tertiary study and professional endeavours,” he said.
The school will also move to bolster activities with girls including the establishment of an “after-school enrichment programme” called the ‘Cranbrook Academy’ and the development of the Wolgan Valley experiential campus.
“The School Council and the Headmaster are excited by these initiatives and we look forward to presenting you with further detail in due course,” the letter said.
One parent welcomed the move on Monday, but warned while some were on board with the shake-up of the school founded in 1918 there would be conservative pockets within the school community who would like to retain the traditions of being a boys school,
“I think it is great, it really sets them up to interact with girls for tertiary education and the workplace,” one parent said.
“I would support it, but some of the staff and old boys are very old school … There will be a lot of people who are not very happy.
“I think it will be a very mixed debate because a lot of parents like the tradition of being a boys’ school.”
The push to become co-ed was revealed in May and is reportedly supported by billionaire Atlassian co-founder Scott Farquhar.
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