Ascham School
Ascham School: It's Your Place
Ascham is a place that fosters a passion for lifelong learning. Located on Gadigal Land, we are a proudly independent girls' school without religious affiliation, for Prep to Year 12 students.
We are known for our outstanding academic results and inclusive, warm and inspiring environment. We welcome both Day and Boarding students, providing each one 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. Our graduates are generous collaborators, critical and agile thinkers, intrinsically motivated and authentically confident.
We offer rigorous academic programs complemented by rich co-curricular activities including Sport, Music, Drama, Community Service and much more. Our International Exchange Programs, Integrated Programs with boys' schools, local and international tours, leadership opportunities, Houses and Sisters and Buddy networks, all contribute to skill-building and creating confident, independent, passionate learners.
Ascham's motto, Vi et Animo—with heart, soul, strength and courage—sits alongside our nine core School values. We are united in our aim of furnishing our girls with the qualities necessary to make a significant difference in the world.
Our Ascham Ngara Commitment comprises a holistic and whole-School approach to creating a culturally responsive school that boldly contributes to the Australian story of reconciliation with our First Nations People. We strive to grow a community that seeks to be guided by, and walk alongside, the local Gadigal people.
Our Ascham School Strategy: Towards 2030, offers six pillars by which we live each day at Ascham. They include:
1. Inspired Teaching and Learning
2. Wellbeing for All
3. Authentic Student Leadership—Leadership for Life
4. A Culture of High Performance and Growth
5. Ascham Community—It’s Your Place
6. Sustaining Our Future
Boarding is at the heart of Ascham
Boarding has been part of Ascham since 1887 and girls continue to forge lifelong friendships within a very special community. Our 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.
The Dalton Plan allows each girl to develop a rich intellectual life while individual attention from the teachers provides each girl with the support needed to achieve her best. Whatever her abilities and aspirations, each Ascham girl receives individual attention under The Dalton Plan. Boarders' Prep each night provides girls with allocated time and supervision to complete homework and weekly assignments.
Although Ascham does not hold Open Days, we believe it is essential to visit us in order to truly understand what a special place Ascham is. A tour of the School provides insight into how important the happiness, confidence, and sense of purpose of our students is to us. Please contact our Enrolments Office to organise your visit to Ascham.
Ascham School offers Boarding Scholarships for girls in Year 7 to Year 10. Without exception, all Ascham scholarships are means-tested. We welcome applications from girls whose families may require some financial assistance to attend the School.
The Dalton Plan: preparation for life
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. The Plan develops the girls' abilities to articulate their needs and become self-directed learners.
The Dalton Plan is a highly flexible structure based on three pillars: Assignment, Lesson and Study. It is valuable for girls of all abilities. It suits the very able student who can use studies to extend her knowledge and interests; it suits the average student who needs the steady consolidation of skills; it suits the weak student who needs particular support and who often needs more time to understand and to practise the key skills she is learning.
In the Senior School girls spend up to half of their academic periods in Studies, where they work either independently or with a teacher, individually or in small groups. The remainder of their time is given to traditional class lessons.
Ascham Scholarships
We are fiercely proud to be the only girls’ school in NSW to offer exclusively means-tested scholarships.
Our scholarships are awarded to girls who will thrive academically and personally through the Dalton Plan and who will in turn make a significant contribution to the life of the School. Scholarships are open to boarders and day girls from Year 7 to Year 10, both current students and external applicants.
Ascham awards scholarships annually in the following categories:
- Academic
- Music
- All-Round Excellence
- Boarding
- Ascham Old Girls
- Equity and Inclusivity
- and Ngara Scholarships for First Nations students, as part of our Ascham Ngara Commitment.
For more information about scholarships and how to apply, please visit our website: https://www.ascham.nsw.edu.au/enrolling/scholarships-and-bursaries/
State-of-the-art facilities
Ascham provides state-of-the-art facilities for our students to learn in and our staff to work in. Contemporary classrooms and learning spaces, an all-weather oval, indoor pool, gym, tennis courts, full-sized theatre and extensive modern libraries mean our girls have access to the best facilities all on one campus.
Our location in the heart of Darling Point/Edgecliff means that we own and occupy several heritage buildings, including the fully renovated Duntrim House, which provides our boarders with a beautiful home to live in at School.
In 2023, we have released our Blueprint For Our Future. This is a whole-of-campus renewal; a 10-years+ program of works designed to unlock the potential of Ascham’s campus, and meet future demands in teaching and learning. We are designing the next century of the Dalton Plan at Ascham, and honouring our Ngara Commitment each step of the way.
A Dalton School demands a campus that keeps pace with its pioneering education. Grouping the campus by faculty means Dalton teachers and students will collaborate and share best practice in both formal and informal learning settings. Boarding Houses will be upgraded and situated in a precinct that includes two brand-new accommodations. We will continue to invite girls from all over the country to bring their rich diversity to our Boarding community.
Blueprint encompasses:
- Fiona Enhancement Project (commencing 2023)
- Boarding
- Performing Arts Precinct
- Hillingdon
- Arts and Innovation Precinct
- Sports Performance Centre
Extensive co-curricular activities
Beyond a girl’s academic pursuits, she has many opportunities for personal development, social interaction and to explore new interests. Our Co-curricular program offers wonderful opportunities for girls to try out new activities and further develop current interests throughout their school life.
Our range of co-curricular activities on offer can change from year to year, depending on the girls’ interests. Just some of the activities currently available are:
19 different sports (with multiple elite athlete Head Coaches)
Speech and Drama
Music ensembles and choirs
Art Clubs
Chess
da Vinci Decathlon
Debating and Public Speaking
Duke of Edinburgh’s Award
Mock Trial
Model United Nations Assembly (MUNA)
Robotics
STEAM Clubs
Theatresports
Tournament of Minds