Partnering with Boys' Schools

Research suggests that whilst girls may thrive academically in a girls’ school, the opportunity to engage in co-curricular activities with boys enhances their social development. For this reason, Ravenswood has developed partnerships with a number of boys’ schools, most notably Knox Grammar School, a Kindergarten to Year 12 Uniting Church Day and Boarding school for boys in Wahroonga, a short train ride from Ravenswood.

Partnering with boys’ schools is important to ensure that when a student leaves Ravenswood, she is secure in her character, confident in her abilities and equipped to make a contribution in a world in which approximately half the population is male.

These partnerships are encouraged through a number of structured programs and environments. For many years, Ravenswood Drama and Musical productions have called for male actors, and boys from schools such as Knox, Sydney Church of England Grammar School (SHORE), St Ignatius’ College, St Aloysius’ College, Newington College and St Ives High School have auditioned successfully for roles.

In 2011, Knox welcomed its first 30 female recruits from Years 8–10 into the Knox Grammar Cadet Unit. Today, there are more than 130 Ravenswood Cadets in the over 800 strong unit, with a number of students filling senior leadership ranks. This success is testimony to the potential for our students to embrace the same challenges as their male counterparts, enhancing their potential to develop confidence and self-reliance.

Each year, the Year 10 Ravenswood and Knox students join together to take part in Be the Change Agent: A Design Thinking Challenge, in which teams of up to ten boys and girls assume management roles and run a virtual company, making important business decisions as they compete against other participating teams.

Since 2012, together with Knox, Ravenswood has offered Year 11 students immersions to Cambodia in the June/July vacation. Students travel together to the region, where they immerse themselves in the life of a typical Khmer for 12 days. The Immersion, which is part of Ravenswood’s Global Experience Program, gives students an opportunity to engage in a social justice activity in a developing country.

Other opportunities for girls to partner with boys’ schools, include Dances in Years 7 and 8, debating competitions, Year 12 sport challenges, Teen Variety, cooking lessons, dancing lessons, the da Vinci Decathlon, social Boarder activities and exchange opportunities to overseas schools. These opportunities enrich the girls’ experiences, and help prepare them for a life beyond Ravenswood.