Ravenswood School for Girls

Ravenswood School for Girls is located on Sydney's North Shore in Gordon, NSW, at 10 Henry St, Gordon NSW 2072, Australia. The campus is about 15 kilometres north of Sydney's Central Business District and is a three‑minute walk from Gordon railway station and bus interchange. Ravenswood provides six dedicated private bus routes for students in Year 3 and above, with buses operated by CDC Coach Lines.

Prep (Pre-Kindergarten) to Year 12, with a Junior School and a Senior School.

Day and boarding school.

The school provides Learning Enrichment and Gifted Education, Positive Education and Wellbeing, and Academic Care.

Australia

Uniting Church in Australia

Ravenswood operates a private bus service for students in Year 3 and above. The service offers pick-up and drop-off at the school gates (Cecil Street), a fixed timetable and route with daily chartered bus services, fully air‑conditioned buses provided by CDC Coach Lines, and a Mobile TransportMe App to monitor buses. Bus routes include Avalon/Mona Vale, Freshwater/Narrabeen, Brookvale/Seaforth, Mosman/Castle Cove, Longueville/Hunters Hill, and Bella Vista/Hills District.

Ravenswood Prep offers a nurturing early-learning transition with a curriculum that combines the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), the Reggio Emilia philosophy and Ravenswood's Positive Education approach. An inquiry-based approach to learning drawn from the IB PYP Learning Framework is used throughout Junior School from Kindergarten to Year 6. Senior students may undertake either the Higher School Certificate (HSC) or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. In Years 7–10, Ravenswood follows the NSW Education Standards Authority syllabuses that incorporate the Australian Curriculum. Languages are compulsory in the IB Diploma, with options including Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese and Latin; core subjects include English, Mathematics, Science, PDHPE, Religious Education, History, Geography and Positive Education.

In 2025 Ravenswood had 31 IB Diploma students and 138 HSC students. One IB student scored 45 (ATAR 99.95); three scored 44, and 34% of the IB cohort scored 40 or above; the IB median was 38. In the HSC, Ravenswood ranked 6th among NSW Independent Schools and 14th overall; seven HSC students achieved ATARs above 99. Seventeen students were named on the HSC All-round Achievers list, five were Top Achievers in specific courses, the Class of 2025 earned 344 Distinguished Achievers mentions and the HSC median ATAR was 91 (combined Class of 2025 median ATAR is 92.30).

Recent Ravenswood graduates have gained entry to Harvard University, the University of Oxford, Princeton University, New York University, Imperial College London and the Royal College of Music, as well as leading Australian universities.

Gifted and High-Potential learners have access to specialised extension classes in Mathematics and English. Initiatives such as the Future Problem Solving Program, Maths Olympiad, Ethics Olympiad, Dorothea Mackellar Poetry Awards, WriteOn and Da Vinci Decathlon champion advanced study and creative problem solving.

The school has embedded Positive Education into its community and approach to learning. It actively works to promote the academic success and wellbeing of each student. Each year group has a Year Coordinator who is the point of liaison between families, students and the school. Students are placed into Mentor groups where they develop bonds with peers and receive pastoral care from a Mentor teacher. The school has in-house psychologists who students are able to access as needed. Ravenswood has a chaplain who guides the spiritual needs of the school.

The Learning Enrichment Department provides specialised support for girls with specific learning needs, including Gifted and Talented students. The department offers targeted interventions and accommodations within the classroom to support diverse learning needs. A range of extra support programs is available, including after-school homework help run by the English and Mathematics departments. The department oversees progression and interventions to ensure students reach their learning goals. The school also provides language and learning support for overseas students through EAL/D services in both Junior and Senior Schools, with language specialists guiding progress. The Head of Curriculum and the Coordinator Academic Studies or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator oversee these programs and monitor student progress.

The school offers specialist language support through EAL/D to assist overseas students. In the Junior School, EAL/D teachers work with class teachers to provide language support via small-group withdrawal and in-class support. In the Senior School, specialist EAL/D teachers work with students to ensure language proficiency to achieve course outcomes. Programs offered include English Language Studies elective (Years 7 to 10), EAL/D English for Years 11 and 12, and IB English B for the IB Diploma (Years 11 and 12). The Head of Curriculum and the Coordinator Academic Studies or International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme Coordinator oversee these programs and monitor progress.

The school has embedded Positive Education into its community to support wellbeing and learning. A Year Coordinator in each year group serves as the liaison among families, students and the school. Mentor groups provide peer connection and pastoral care from a dedicated mentor teacher. In-house psychologists are available for student support as needed. Ravenswood's chaplain provides guidance for spiritual and emotional wellbeing within the school community. The Deputy Principal - Boarding, Wellbeing and Development and the Coordinator of International Students support new arrivals to settle and address day-to-day concerns.

Ravenswood places high importance on caring for overseas students' wellbeing and ensuring accommodation is safe and inclusive. The Ravenswood Residential College provides a safe and caring home away from home for boarders, fostering a family community. Overseas students must have a guardian who is over 21, proficient in English, and resident near Sydney; guardians assist with permissions and medical decisions and attend parent/teacher meetings as required. Overseas students on student visas must have Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC) for the duration of the visa, arranged independently; Ravenswood's preferred provider is Medibank Private. The school monitors attendance with a minimum 80% requirement per term, and absences require medical certificates after two days; extended or unapproved absences may trigger an intervention. The Deputy Principal - Boarding, Wellbeing and Development and the Coordinator of International Students support ongoing safeguarding and welfare, including settling in new students and addressing concerns.

Enrolment steps: Step 1 – Submit an Enrolment Application Form online. Applications can be submitted online, and an Application Fee of $400 (including Overseas Students) is payable when submitting the online application. Step 2 – Provisional Offer. A Provisional Offer may be made after the Enrolment Application Form, supporting documentation and the Application Fee are received and reviewed, subject to place availability and completed documentation. Acceptance is required within the time stated in the offer, with a non-refundable Acceptance Fee of $1,900 to secure the place on the Provisional Offer Enrolment List. If a place is not available, the student will be placed on a Waiting List and no Acceptance Fee is required until a Provisional Offer is proposed. Step 3 – Interview. Two years prior to entry, prospective students and parents complete a Pre-Enrolment Form and attend an interview. School reports and NAPLAN results (if applicable) are required. Interviews are conducted with a Deputy Principal and/or the Head of Enrolments to discuss expectations and elective choices. Step 4 – Confirmed Place. Following a satisfactory interview, a Confirmed Offer of Enrolment may be made. Acceptance is required within the specified time, with payment of the Enrolment Fee of $2,500; this payment is non-refundable and final. Amendments to commencement dates may not be accommodated, and if the School is able to accommodate the request, a change fee may be applicable.

Ravenswood offers a number of Scholarships each year to current and new Ravenswood students. Ravenswood scholarships include Academic, Music, The Kim Buchan All Rounder Scholarship, The Margaret Donaldson Scholarship, Ravenswood Alumni Scholarship, The Rural Residential Scholarship, 2026 Creative Arts Scholarship and AIEF First Nations Scholarships. Scholarships cover full or part tuition fees and are offered to girls commencing at Ravenswood in Year 7 and Year 11 to encourage and acknowledge excellence. Ravenswood scholarships are conducted by Academic Assessment Services. All scholarship candidates are required to take the Scholarship Examination conducted at Ravenswood; the test will incur a fee of $150. Late applications or registrations will not be accepted. Girls applying for all Scholarships, excluding Academic Scholarships, must check the additional requirements listed. For Ravenswood Scholarships enquiries, please contact enrol@ravenswood.nsw.edu.au. 2027 Ravenswood Scholarship applications are now closed. 2028 Scholarship applications will open Monday 1 June 2026 and close on Friday 8 August 2026. 2028 Scholarship testing will take place on Saturday 15 August 2026 at Ravenswood.

Waiting List: If a place is not available, the student will be placed on a Waiting List and no Acceptance Fee is required until a Provisional Offer is proposed.