Newington College caught deleting social media comments amid co-ed sports controversy

Elite $42,000-per-year private school Newington College continues to be plagued by controversy over its decision to go co-ed, and is now facing fresh criticism over its future sports offering for girls.

Newington College, in Stanmore, has been hit with another controversy. Picture: Justin Lloyd.

Elite Sydney private school Newington College continues to be plagued by controversy over its decision to go co-ed, and is now facing fresh criticism over its future sports offering – and has been caught deleting social media comments in the process.

The Stanmore school, which charges up to $42,000 for senior students, is currently a member of the prestigious Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools (AAGPS), an organisation composed entirely of single-sex boys school and Sydney-based.

Newington on Tuesday announced it had joined the Independent Sporting Association – a school sports body with significantly less prestige and a roster of members as far flung as Orange, Jindabyne, the Southern Highlands and the Central Coast – from 2028 to allow “future female Newingtonians” to compete in sports that “may include netball, basketball, football, touch football, swimming, tennis, cross-country, and athletics”.

Left off the list of options for girls were rugby and rowing – two sports for which the GPS schools are renowned – as well as water polo and rifle shooting.

The posts on Facebook and Instagram were quickly followed by a flurry of negative comments from former students and parents, some of which were swiftly removed by the school, and unanswered questions over exactly which sports the girls would be included in.

Newington College’s Facebook announcement that girls will enter the less esteemed Independent Sporting Association competition from 2028.

“Newington’s heyday has passed. The founders would be ashamed,” one man said in a since-deleted comment, also describing the move as a “woke joke”.

“Embarrassing,” another said.

Screenshots of since-deleted comments criticising the school’s decision to join the ISA.

“Pity the girls aren’t offered the full range of sports that the boys have the opportunity to participate in,” a female commenter added.

While the ISA does offer a rugby competition, it does not offer rowing, sparking questions over whether incoming female students would have access to the Newington rowing program – and its facilities.

“They would have been the only girls with access to a rowing shed with overnight stay facilities,” one commenter pointed out.

“The list of sports … are the same as those offered at non-independent schools, (it) doesn’t make sense to pay the private school fees for the same opportunities,” another said.

The expensive private school in Stanmore is known for its membership of the GPS boys’ school competition. Picture: Justin Lloyd

Some families had expected Newington to pursue membership of the AAGPS’ female counterpart, the Independent Girls’ Schools Association (IGSA), which is currently constituted exclusively by single-sex girls’ schools and also offers a water polo competition and rowing regatta.

“IGSA only offers sport to its member schools and Newington is not a member,” Executive Officer Sonia Berry confirmed.

Newington girls would still be eligible to enter the NSW Schoolgirl Head of the River regatta, however, which is run independently by Rowing NSW and admits teams from single-sex and co-ed schools alike.

The GPS rowing competition is highly competitive, and many of the nation’s top rowing clubs have close relationships with the schools. Picture: Max Mason-Hubers

A spokesperson for Newington College confirmed the ISA competition, which is for secondary students, won’t begin until 2028.

Female students will be able to enrol at Newington’s primary school campus in Kindergarten and Year 5 from 2026.

“Sport and co-curricular is an essential aspect of the Newington experience, this is why we have joined the ISA for our future female senior students,” they said.

“The senior boys compete in the GPS competition. We are and will remain a GPS school.”

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