Cranbrook School hires Daisy Turnbull in high-powered role before co-ed transition

The daughter of former Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has scored a plum new job at an elite private school in Sydney.

One of Sydney’s most prestigious private schools, Cranbrook has employed author and teacher, Daisy Turnbull to lead its transition into becoming a co-ed school.

Ms Turnbull – who is the daughter of former prime minister Malcolm Turnbull – will assist the boy’s school to ensure aspects like the institution’s uniforms and curriculum will be suitable for blended enrolment, the Sydney Morning Herald reports.

She has worked as a social sciences teacher at Cranbrook since Term 2 and will transition to the director of coeducation and academy. The academy portion of her role will focus on an after-school program for high school students.

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Daisy Turnbull will help Cranbrook school transition to becoming a co-ed school. Picture: Supplied

From 2026, female students will be enrolled Year 7 and Year 11, which would see the entire school become co-ed by 2029.

Originally the plan was slated to begin in 2023, however the school council wanted to allow more time to minimise disruption and include more time to plan.

The junior school will remain single-sex, with no plans for that to change.

Cranbrook School is located in Sydney’s eastern suburb of Rose Bay. Picture: Supplied

Sharing the news on her Twitter, Ms Turnbull wrote: “Very excited to be part of the Cranbrook community as it prepares for coeducation.”

The author of two books on building resilience, communication and confidence in kids and teenagers previously worked as the head of wellbeing at the private Anglican St Catherine’s School, in the nearby suburb of Waverley.

Very excited to be part of the Cranbrook community as it prepares for coeducation. https://t.co/gN7OPq9Y6v

— Daisy Turnbull (@ms_dzt) August 22, 2022

The move from Cranbrook’s senior school to become coeducational has been backed by its alumni and billionaire Atlassian founder, Scott Farquhar and his wife, Kim Jackson.

In February 2021, Cranbrook came under fire after it was listed in a petition started by Chanel Contos – a 22-year-old, ex-student of Kambala School, based in Sydney’s affluent east – which accused students from some of Sydney’s top private schools of sexual assault.

The petition contained dozens of testimonies from anonymous students and contained claims against boys who attended Scots College, Sydney Grammar School, Waverley College, Kings School and Cranbrook.

Female students will be allowed to enrol in Year 7 and Year 11 from 2026. Picture: Richard Dobson

In a letter to parents, president of the school council Jon North said he hoped a potential move to co-ed classes would “increase interaction between boys and girls” and encourage “the development of healthy and respectful relationships”.

Cranbrook School is regarded as one of NSW’s and Australia’s most elite and expensive independent education facilities. School fees range from $26,757 for kindergarten students and to $39,894 for the tuition of a Year 11 or 12 student.

Year 11 and 12 students who also attend boarding school are charged $75,489.

Some of the school’s famous alumni include Olympic runner Steven Solomon, 14th Chief Justice of NSW Sir Laurence Whistler Street and media tycoon Kerry Packer and his son James Packer.

Originally published as Cranbrook School hires Daisy Turnbull in high-powered role before co-ed transition