School

General description

Now 135 years old, Ascham is a school known for its outstanding academic results as well as being an inclusive, warm, inspiring environment for day and boarding students. The School provides each girl with the means to become an independent learner and develop into a self-reliant, confident, compassionate young woman with a sense of purpose in the world.

Located in Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs, Ascham educates girls from Preschool to Year 12 and is independent of any religious affiliation. It actively promotes ties with universities and other schools overseas. Days at Ascham are filled with interactive and challenging learning, together with a wide range of co-curricular activities, including a broad choice of Sports, Music, Drama, Debating, Public Speaking, The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award program, and much more. From International Student Exchange programs and tours, school-based leadership and support programs, to Houses and Sisters networks and community projects, an Ascham girl’s resilience will build as the School helps her develop the confidence to extend herself and give her the security to make mistakes and learn from them.

Boarding has been an integral part of Ascham since 1887 and girls continue to forge lifelong friendships within a very special community. The Boarding Houses are places where girls become confident learners, independent thinkers and caring individuals. The majority of Ascham boarders come from country NSW, with some from Sydney suburbs, interstate and overseas. They live in a number of spacious former homes, providing a family atmosphere, and they enjoy a supervised academic program as well as a comprehensive weekend activity program. Through its long Boarding history, the School maintains very strong links with rural communities.

Specific to this school

Ascham is the only school in Australia to use the Dalton Plan and it sits at the heart of our teaching and learning. This unique Plan provides girls with an extraordinary skill set, not only for school but also in preparing them for life beyond the school gates. Ascham is a school known for outstanding academic results as well as providing an inclusive, warm, inspiring environment for day and boarding students who benefit from so much on offer, not least an exceptional academic program. This environment provides each girl with every means to become an independent learner and develop into a self-reliant, confident, compassionate young woman with a sense of purpose in the world. Through the Dalton Plan and with the encouragement of teachers, her learning will be enriched, new passions discovered, she will be challenged and supported.

Ascham has 1,222 students including 113 boarders, with 170 teachers working with them from Preschool through to Year 12 (the final year of high school in Australia).

Since 2001, Ascham has been a member of, and maintained a close relationship with, Dalton International. The School has welcomed visitors from Dalton International and hosted students studying the Dalton method. Ascham teachers and executive have also been hosted by Dutch schools and attended Dalton International conferences. Ascham kindly invites visitors to observe our Dalton practice; requests should be made through Dalton International as well as Ascham School.

In 2022 Ascham School will be celebrating its 100th anniversary of being a Dalton School.