Cranbrook School, Sydney

Last updated

Cranbrook School
Cranbrook School, Sydney Logo.svg
Location
Cranbrook School, Sydney
Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay, New South Wales

Australia
Coordinates 33°52′15″S151°15′9″E / 33.87083°S 151.25250°E / -33.87083; 151.25250
Information
Type Independent early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school
Motto Latin: Esse Quam Videri
(To be, rather than to seem to be [1] )
Denomination Anglican [2]
Established1918;106 years ago (1918) [3]
Founder Frederick T. Perkins
President of CouncilVacant
Headmaster (Acting)Michele Marquet
Deputy Headmaster/Head of Senior SchoolBob Meakin
Head of Junior SchoolMichele Marquet
Director of Students/Deputy Head of Senior SchoolPeter Young
ChaplainRoderick Farraway
Employeesc. 187 [4]
Years Early learning and K–12
Gender Boys (Co-Ed from 2026)
Enrolmentc. 1,680 (2021 [4] )
Colour(s)Red, white and blue    
Affiliations
Website www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au
Cranbrook School, Sydney

Cranbrook School is a dual-campus independent Anglican early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in Bellevue Hill and Rose Bay, both eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The prestigious school was founded in 1918 with the Rev'd Frederick Thomas Perkins as the first headmaster. Cranbrook has a non-selective enrolment policy and currently caters for approximately 1,680 [4] students from early learning (4 years old) to Year 12 (18 years old), [5] including 97 boarders from Years 7 to 12. [6] Cranbrook is affiliated with the International Boys' Schools Coalition (IBSC), [2] the Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia (AHISA), [7] the Junior School Heads Association of Australia (JSHAA), [8] the Australian Boarding Schools' Association (ABSA), [6] and the Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. [9] It is a founding member of the Combined Associated Schools (CAS). [10] [11]

Contents

History

On 1 December 1917, the former private home and vice-regal residence, Cranbrook, was bought at auction by an agent for Samuel Hordern. He was the main financial benefactor of a group of businessmen and churchmen aiming to establish an Anglican boys' school in the Eastern Suburbs. [12]

From December 1917 to June 1918, a provisional committee of twelve, comprising the founders and six additional men, prepared for the opening of the new school. They held meetings, ensured building renovations were completed, drew up the first articles of association and appointed the first Headmaster, Rev. F. T. Perkins. [13]

On 6 June 1918, the provisional committee reformed itself as the first council of Cranbrook School and organised the official opening of the school for 22 July 1918. [13]

Charles Kingsford Smith during a visit to Cranbrook in 1928 1928 Charles Kingsford Smith visits Cranbrook School.jpg
Charles Kingsford Smith during a visit to Cranbrook in 1928

In July 2022, parents of students were informed that the whole senior school would be co-ed by 2029 with girls enrolled from 2026. [14] In March 2024, the school was featured in a Four Corners investigation into allegations of a toxic workplace and sexist student culture. The report also raised questions around Government funding for Cranbrook School and its level of accountability for this. [15]

Headmasters

OrdinalHeadmasterQualificationsYearsEducationOther key positions held
1 Rev'd Frederick T. Perkins MA 1918–1932
2 Brigadier Iven G. Mackay BA HonLLD1933–1939
3 Sir Brian W. Hone OBE BA(Hons) MA FACE1940–1951
4 Gethyn Hewan MA MACE1951–1963
5Mark Bishop OBE BSc ARACI FACE1963–1985
6 Dr Bruce N. Carter AM BA EdM EdD1985–2000
7Jeremy J. S. MadinBA(Hons) DipEd2001–2012
8Nicholas A. SampsonMA PGCE2012–2024

Campus

Cranbrook school is situated over four campuses; the Senior School (Years 7 to 12) are located on the main campus in suburban Bellevue Hill, while the Junior School, for students from Kindergarten to Year 6, is located in nearby Rose Bay. [16]

House system

Cranbrook has a system of houses from year seven to twelve. This system was created in order for boys to socialise better between different year groups, where senior boys would be acting as juniors' mentors within the house. There are currently 14 day-houses, with about 80 boys each. There are also two boarding houses with around 40 boys each. [17]

Day houses

The school has 12 houses for day students:

ColourNameYear foundedNamed in honour of
 Chelmsford1931 Lord Chelmsford, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Strickland1931 Sir Gerald Strickland, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Davidson1941 Sir Walter Davidson, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Northcott1957 Sir John Northcott, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Wakehurst1960 Lord Wakehurst, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Woodward1969 Sir Eric Woodward, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Hone1970 Sir Brian Hone, a former Headmaster (1940–1951)
 Cutler1980 Sir Roden Cutler, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Perkins1994Rev. Frederick Perkins, the founding Headmaster (1918–1932)
 Harvey2012 Sir John Musgrave Harvey (1918–1938), the founding School Council Chairman
 Thomas2023Dr David Thomas, a staff member of 58 years
 Hewan2023 Mr Gethyn Hewan, a former Headmaster (1951–1963) and staff member of 38 years

Boarding houses

Cranbrook has two houses for boarding students:

ColourNameYear foundedNamed in honour of
 Rawson1931 Sir Harry Rawson, a former Governor of New South Wales
 Street1957 Sir Kenneth Street, a former President of School Council
Cranbrook Sports Pavilion was designed by John Horbury Hunt and is heritage-listed. (1)Cranbrook sports pavilion.jpg
Cranbrook Sports Pavilion was designed by John Horbury Hunt and is heritage-listed.

Sport

Cranbrook School is a member of the Combined Associated Schools (CAS).

CAS premierships

Cranbrook School has won the following CAS premierships. [18]

Notable alumni

Alumni of Cranbrook School are known as "Old Cranbrookians" and may elect to join the school's alumni association, the Old Cranbrookians' Association (OCA). [19]

Controversies and criticisms

Anti-Semitic incidents

In 2022, there were reports that three students were the targets of anti-Semitic behaviour by fellow students. Later, video footage of a student doing a Nazi salute emerged. [20] In September 2022, the school announced an internal review to look into it. [21] Cranbrook has said it had built an improved and centralised incident behaviour register and strengthened its alliances with organisations including the NSW Jewish Board of Deputies. [22]

Mass resignation from school council

In November 2022, 10 of the 11 members of Cranbrook School’s council announced their resignation due to a deteriorating relationship between headmaster and school council president, as well as disagreement over plans to admit girls to the century-old boys’ school from 2026. [23] Subsequently, on 25 November, former School Presidents, Helen Nugent AC and Roger Massy-Greene AM, formed an independent Nominations Committee to make recommendations to the current Council on nominations for new members of Council. [24] 13 new Councillors were subsequently appointed.

Four Corners investigation and allegations of sexual harassment and toxic culture

In March 2024, the investigative journalism program Four Corners released an investigation about the alleged toxic and sexist "boys club" culture within the school's student body and leadership. Multiple former staff members and students were interviewed about sexual harassment of female staff. Former teaching staff described being sexually harassed, insulted, and threatened by students. A former teacher, who was blackmailed by a student saying he would claim she was abusing him if she did not send him sexual images, said that the incident was downplayed by Head of Senior School and Deputy Headmaster Bob Meakin, who allegedly stated that "because I'm young and, 'I'm just going to say it – attractive,' it's not [surprising] that I've received attention from the boys". [25] [26]

After the investigation was aired and published online, investigative journalist Louise Milligan stated that she, the ABC, and multiple other journalists had received several legal threats regarding the content of the investigation. Headmaster Nicholas Sampson was forced to resign by the school council later in the week after it was revealed that he had not disclosed information to the school council about a teacher who, early in his employment at Cranbrook, had sent explicit emails to a former student of his at another, previous school in which he described sexual fantasies about her and other female students he had previously taught. While the teacher was investigated by police and not found to have behaved criminally, Sampson had in 2015 been informed about the emails and, in addition to not informing the school council about them, appeared have glossed over the teacher's behaviour.

The episode included details of how a petition in 2021, by Chanel Contos received over 2,500 testimonies of sexual assault from high school students, with many testimonies referring to Cranbrook students, as well as students from other elite all-boys schools. [27] [28]

Government funding

Cranbrook received about $6.5 million in state and federal government funding in 2022. [29] This is despite the school charging up to $46,000 per year for domestic students (not including boarding fees), [30] paying their headmaster over $1 million per year, [31] having $168 million in assets and running a $10 million profit as recently as 2019. [32]

In 2021, Cranbrook spent more on works ($63.48 million) than the total public school capital expenditure of Tasmania and the Northern Territory combined ($62.4 million). [33]

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Boys High School</span> School in Australia

Sydney Boys High School ("SBHS"), otherwise known as The Sydney High School ("SHS") or High, is a government-funded single-sex academically selective secondary day school for boys, located at Moore Park, New South Wales, a suburb within the City of Sydney council, in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Trinity Grammar School (New South Wales)</span> School in Australia

Trinity Grammar School is a multi-campus independent Anglican single-sex early learning, primary and secondary day school for boys, in inner-western Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The main campus in Summer Hill provides a comprehensive education to students from Year 7 to Year 12; the campus in Strathfield provides a comprehensive education to early learning and primary school students, from Kindergarten to Year 6; and outdoor education facilities are located at Woollamia on the NSW South Coast. The school previously enrolled boarders until the end of 2019.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Barker College</span> School in Australia

Barker College is an independent Anglican co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Hornsby, a North Shore suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Barker was founded in 1890 by Rev. Henry Plume at Kurrajong Heights. In 2016 Barker announced a transition to a fully co-educational school, commencing in 2018 with girls in early learning and Kindergarten, in 2019 with girls in Year 3; in 2020 with girls in Year 7. It includes boarding facilities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Knox Grammar School</span> Independent, day & boarding school in Wahroonga, New South Wales, Australia

Knox Grammar School is an independent Uniting Church day and boarding school for boys, located in Wahroonga, New South Wales, an Upper North Shore suburb of Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1924 by the Presbyterian Church of Australia as an all-boys school, and named after John Knox. The school has since grown, branching out into a large Senior School and a Preparatory School, enrolling approximately 2900 students. The school also caters for approximately 160 boarding students from Years 7 to 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Joseph's College, Hunters Hill</span> School in Hunters Hill, Lower North Shore, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

St Joseph's College is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex secondary day and boarding school for boys, conducted in the Marist Brothers tradition, located in Hunters Hill, a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hurlstone Agricultural High School</span> School in Australia

Hurlstone Agricultural High School is a government-funded co-educational academically selective and specialist secondary day and boarding school, located in Glenfield, a south-western suburb of Sydney, in the Macarthur region of New South Wales, Australia. HAHS is the oldest government boarding school in New South Wales.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Combined Associated Schools</span>

The Associated Schools of NSW Inc, most commonly referred to as the Committee of Associated Schools (CAS), is a group of six independent schools located in Sydney, which share common interests, ethics, educational philosophy and contest sporting events between themselves. In addition, CAS members often compete with members of the Athletic Association of the Great Public Schools of New South Wales (GPS) and members of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North Sydney Boys High School</span> School in Australia

North Sydney Boys High School is a government-funded, single-sex, academically selective secondary day school for boys, located at Crows Nest, on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. In 2023, North Sydney Boys High School sat as the first ranking high school in the state, based on the percentage of exams sat that achieved a Distinguished Achievers (DA), overtaking the first ranked James Ruse Agricultural High School, sending JRAHS to the second rank for the first time since 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Waverley College</span> School in Waverley, New South Wales, Australia

Waverley College is a dual-campus independent Catholic early learning, primary and secondary day school for boys, located on Birrell and Henrietta Street in Waverley, in the eastern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The school was founded by the Congregation of Christian Brothers in 1903 and is operated in the tradition of Blessed Edmund Rice through its membership of Edmund Rice Education Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The King's School, Parramatta</span> Independent day and boarding school in North Parramatta, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

The King's School is an independent Anglican, early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, located in North Parramatta in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1831, the school is Australia's oldest independent school, and is situated on a 148-hectare (370-acre) suburban campus.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Sydney Church of England Grammar School</span> School in Australia

The Sydney Church of England Grammar School is a dual-campus independent Anglican single-sex and co-educational early learning, primary and secondary day and boarding school for boys, located on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">St Gregory's College, Campbelltown</span> School in Australia

St Gregory's College Campbelltown is an independent Roman Catholic single-sex and co-educational comprehensive and specialist primary and secondary day and boarding school, located in Gregory Hills, near Campbelltown, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. With specialist expertise as an agricultural school, St Gregory's College provides a co-educational environment for students in the Kindergarten to Year 6 primary school; and a boys-only environment for students in the Year 7 to Year 12 secondary schools.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School</span> School in Australia

The Farrer Memorial Agricultural High School is a government boys' academically selective and specialist secondary day and boarding school, located in Calala, a small suburb of Tamworth, in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. It is the only public agricultural high school for boys in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tara Anglican School for Girls</span> School in Australia

Tara Anglican School for Girls is an independent Anglican single-sex, early learning, primary, secondary, day, and boarding school for girls, located in North Parramatta, a western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kinross Wolaroi School</span> School in Orange, New South Wales

Kinross Wolaroi School is an independent Uniting Church co-educational early learning, primary, and secondary day and boarding school, located in Orange, a rural city 260 kilometres (160 mi) west of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Founded in 1886 it is the oldest school in Orange and is situated across two campuses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">All Saints' College, Bathurst</span> School in Bathurst, New South Wales, Australia

All Saints' College was an independent, co-educational Christian college in the Anglican tradition. It was established in 1874, and closed in 2018 to merge with The Scots School, Bathurst, to form Scots All Saints' College, with campuses in Bathurst and Lithgow, New South Wales. Up until its merger, the college catered for day students from pre-kindergarten to Year 12, and boarders from Years 7 to 12.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Maitland High School</span> School in Australia

Maitland High School is a government-funded co-educational comprehensive secondary day school, located on High Street, East Maitland, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Redfield College (New South Wales)</span> School in Dural, Hills District, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Redfield College is an independent Roman Catholic all-boys early learning, primary, and secondary day school, located in Dural, a suburb in the Hills District of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Randwick North High School</span> School in Randwick, New South Wales, Australia

Randwick North High School was an Australian co-educational high school which operated from 1966 to 2001 in the suburb of Randwick, New South Wales. The site is now home to Randwick Public School and Centennial Park School.

References

  1. ↑ "Cranbrook School". Schools. Study in Australia. 2005. Retrieved 18 January 2008.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. 1 2 "Cranbrook School". Member Directory. International Girls' Schools Coalition. 2007. Retrieved 20 May 2008.
  3. ↑ "Cranbrook School". School Directory. SchoolSeek. 2008. Archived from the original on 22 February 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  4. 1 2 3 "Cranbrook School NESA Annual Report 2021" (PDF). Cranbrook School. October 2022. Retrieved 16 February 2022.
  5. ↑ "Annual Report 2006" (PDF). Publications. Cranbrook School. 2006. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  6. 1 2 "Cranbrook School". Schools. Australian Boarding Schools' Association. 2007. Archived from the original on 17 November 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  7. ↑ "AHISA Schools". New South Wales. Association of Heads of Independent Schools of Australia. January 2008. Archived from the original on 2 November 2007. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  8. ↑ "JSHAA New South Wales Directory of Members". New South Wales Branch. Junior School Heads' Association of Australia. 2008. Archived from the original on 17 January 2008. Retrieved 18 January 2008.
  9. ↑ "International Members". HMC Schools. The Headmasters' and Headmistresses' Conference. Archived from the original on 15 March 2008. Retrieved 11 March 2008.
  10. ↑ "Combined Associated Schools". CAS. Cranbrook School. Archived from the original on 30 August 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  11. ↑ "ABC to air 'hit job' on Sydney's elite Cranbrook School". the australian.
  12. ↑ Paterson, Kate (10 April 2018). "Demolition Report. Cranbrook School". Major Projects. Planning Portal. NSW Govt. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  13. 1 2 "Cranbrook Centenary". cranbrookcentenary.com.au. Retrieved 19 August 2022.
  14. ↑ Baker, Jordan (27 July 2022). "'Inevitable step forward': Cranbrook's high school to become fully co-ed". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 7 March 2024.
  15. ↑ Badham, Van (5 March 2024). "The ABC's Cranbrook school investigation shows why Australia needs to turn its back on single-sex cultures built on exclusion". The Guardian. ISSN   0261-3077 . Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  16. ↑ "Woollahra and Surrounds Schools Directory" (PDF). Woollahra Municipal Council. 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  17. ↑ "Houses - Cranbrook School". www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au. Retrieved 20 February 2023.
  18. ↑ "Trophies Awarded – cas-web" . Retrieved 17 September 2021.
  19. ↑ "Old Cranbrookians'". About Us. Cranbrook School. Retrieved 28 January 2008.
  20. ↑ "Cranbrook School delayed acting on Nazi salutes, anti-Semitism, families say". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  21. ↑ "'A moral duty': Cranbrook undertakes review after anti-Semitic reports". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
  22. ↑ Healey, Bianca (16 January 2023). "NSW Board of Jewish Deputies CEO Darren Bark calls for statewide Holocaust education". The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  23. ↑ "'Untenable': Cranbrook School councillors quit as internal feud escalates". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 21 November 2022.
  24. ↑ "NEW MEMBERS OF CRANBROOK SCHOOL COUNCIL ANNOUNCED" (PDF). Cranbrook School. 30 December 2022. Retrieved 21 February 2023.
  25. ↑ "Former female staff at Sydney's elite Cranbrook School warn of 'toxic' culture as it prepares to go co-ed". ABC.
  26. ↑ Teachers blackmailed and bullied at one of Australia’s most exclusive boys’ schools | Four Corners , retrieved 5 March 2024
  27. ↑ Zhou, Naaman; Visontay, Elias (22 February 2021). "Viral petition against student sexual assault a 'wake-up call', Sydney private school principals say". The Guardian. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  28. ↑ Nilsson, Anton (27 February 2021). "Prefect at private school calls for a change in attitudes in wake of petition about sex assault". 9News. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  29. ↑ "Cranbrook School under investigation by federal government". Sydney Morning Herald. Retrieved 10 March 2024.
  30. ↑ https://www.cranbrook.nsw.edu.au/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Cranbrook-School-Fee-Schedule-2024-4-1.pdf
  31. ↑ https://amp.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cranbrook-headmaster-resigns-following-irrevocable-breakdown-of-trust-20240308-p5fasr.html
  32. ↑ https://amp.smh.com.au/national/australia-s-top-private-schools-are-growing-richer-and-faster-than-ever-20210615-p5814b.html
  33. ↑ https://amp.smh.com.au/national/victoria/these-five-private-schools-spent-more-on-capital-works-than-3300-public-schools-20240221-p5f6pa.html

Further reading

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.