Annette Sharp: Daisy Turnbull to lure girls to Cranbrook School

Daisy Turnbull has taken a job with Cranbrook School — is the former PM’s daughter the latest weapon in the war to take the prestigious boys school co-ed, asks Annette Sharp.

New Cranbrook recruit Daisy Turnbull looks to be the latest weapon in the war to take the prestigious boys school co-ed.

The Kincoppal-Rose Bay old girl and daughter of former PM Malcolm Turnbull and wife Lucy, joined the Cranbrook faculty at the beginning of the second term, after starting the year as a teacher of history and religious studies at St Catherine’s, Waverley.

On Friday, when approached by this column, Turnbull happily confirmed her new teaching post.

“I’ve started there this term part-time as a social sciences teacher,” she said.

The single mother added that she was teaching commerce at the school part-time, which suited her because her two children were still young.

Daisy Turnbull has joined the elite Cranbrook School as a part-time teacher.

Turnbull wouldn’t be drawn on whether she had been signed up to help Cranbrook school headmaster Nicholas Sampson in his campaign to take the historic boys school co-ed, a quest that has divided the school community.

As a Kincoppal old girl, sources insist she has been employed to improve the “optic” at the boys’ school and help lure female students from her nearby alma mater, Kincoppal – Rose Bay, an all-girls Catholic school.

Cranbrook hopes to draw students from elite all-girl eastern suburb schools Kincoppal, Ascham, Kambala and SCEGGS to boost its financial coffers and pay for an expensive new senior school building that cost the school of upwards of $125 million.

It’s also understood that by enrolling female students from elite local schools the school executive hopes to boost Cranbrook’s academic record.

In 2021, Kincoppal finished 28th in HSC results for NSW while Ascham finished 16th, SCEGGS Darlinghurst 17th and Kambala 11th.

Cranbrook, by comparison, was 35th trailing rival boys schools North Sydney Boys High (2nd), Sydney Grammar (4th) Sydney Boys High (13th) and Knox Grammar (30th).

Gretel Packer is said to be an advocate for introduction of girls into senior years at Cranbrook from 2023. Picture: Robert Edwards

Sampson could not be reached for comment yesterday as he is currently overseas.

For the past year parents at the school have been at war with the school and its executive after they read of Sampson’s secret plans to go co-ed in a Sydney newspaper.

On Tuesday night tensions are expected to flare again when the school’s AGM is held.

On the agenda is the re-election of a group of school council members, Craig Carroll, Michael Jenson and president of the school council Jon North.

North took aim at members of the school community in a recent letter: “It has come to our attention that a group of current and former parents are encouraging members to … vote against these resolutions (to re-elect),” he wrote.

“This is extremely disappointing and very divisive for the Cranbrook community,” North said, firing up at parents who felt he and Carroll should depart “on the basis we no longer have boys at the school”.

He clarified in December that the school council “unanimously” agreed to implement the co-ed initiatives which have split the community.

The parent community is deeply divided over Cranbrook School’s plans to go co-ed. Picture: Richard Dobson

Pushing for the introduction of girls into senior years from 2023 is Atlassian’s Scott Farquhar and his wife Kim Jackson, along with a cohort of well-financed backers said to include Gretel Packer (whose father, brother and sons were Cranbrook grads), and Caledonia funds management boss Will Vicars, who has reportedly thrown $5 million at the new building project.

In the camp opposing it are former ALP senator and Sky commentator Graham Richardson and wife Amanda, commercial property boss Lesli Berger and wife Kirsty, and business couple Robbie and Sarah Ingham.

While proponents of the co-ed plan argue having girls at the school will help address “sexual consent education” potentially lacking at the school, many believe the discussion has been hijacked to suit the school’s financial interests.

“Having girls at Cranbrook is not going to solve the problems they want to address,” said one parent last week, asking what of the “consent rights” of the parents.

“Parents made an informed decision … for our boys to attend a single-sex boys school for high school years in an effort to teach the boys about respect for women and the importance of informed consent,” the parent said.

“(In pushing for co-ed) the school is ignoring and subverting the informed consent of these parents.”

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