Cranbrook School: Decision by school council to introduce co-education to elite Bellevue Hill school

The elite all-boys school in Bellevue Hill shared the decision by the school council in a message to its community on Wednesday, with the headmaster describing the move as a “pinnacle moment in Cranbrook’s history”.

Elite Bellevue Hill private school Cranbrook will become a co-ed institution within a decade, following vigorous debate among parents and the school community in recent months.

In correspondence shared with stakeholders, Cranbrook said the school council had decided that from 2026, it would admit female students in Years 7 and 11.

“This will result in the Senior School (Years 7-12) being fully co-educational from 2029,” the statement signed by President of the School Council Jon North and Headmaster Nicholas Sampson said.

There are currently no plans for co-education in the Junior School.

Cranbrook School in Bellevue Hill will be co-ed. Picture: Richard Dobson

Mr Sampson said the decision marked a “pinnacle moment in Cranbrook’s history.”

“Moving to a co-educational model is, I believe, the pathway for the future, and cements our existence as a school based on equality, inclusion and respect for diversity,” Mr Sampson said in a statement.

The formalised decision follows six months of internal debate about the merits of a transition, which many called a necessary step to meet the expectations of parents, students and modern society.

In its statement the school acknowledged parents’ concerns around cohort size, the ratio of girls to boys - and the potential impact on educational outcomes.

But Cranbrook said it was confident the changes would foster an enriched learning environment that better supported students during their time at the school and beyond.

“Our ambition for girls joining Cranbrook is that their experience should be every bit as rich, challenging and fulfilling as it is for boys,” Mr Sampson said.

Cranbrook School headmaster Nicholas Sampson was a driving force behind the change.

“Girls will participate fully in the life of the school in the classroom and beyond, and the outstanding young women who will start at Cranbrook will sustain, develop and enhance Cranbrook’s strong culture, a culture that celebrates inclusiveness and individuality.”

The headmaster told the school community he believed giving young men the opportunity to engage with the opposite sex would benefit its students and wider culture.

Co-education “promotes mutual understanding and respect”, Mr Sampson said.

“The normalisation of inter-gender relationships is a very important benefit of co-educational schooling.”

The three year timeframe to transition to co-ed will see female students admitted in Year 7 in order to minimise disruption to boys currently enrolled and mitigate concerns about only admitting girls into senior years, the school said.

“It minimises disruption and allows the school to undertake additional planning around student experience, teaching and learning, pastoral care, facilities and governance issues arising from the establishment of a fully co-educational secondary school,” the statement said.