Sydney private boys’ school Cranbrook, which will become co-educational from 2026, has appointed its first female head in the institution’s more than 100-year history. The school council told students and staff on Thursday that Ravenswood School for Girls principal Anne Johnstone would take up the position as Cranbrook’s principal from the start of term 3 next year. Johnstone will replace the school’s former high-profile head Nicholas Sampson, who sensationally resigned from his $1 million-plus a year post in March after allegations of workplace bullying and historical abuse at the prestigious eastern suburbs school.

Cranbrook's New Leadership

“Throughout the competitive recruitment process, the council was impressed by Anne’s energy, warmth, intellect, wisdom, deep educational experience and by her values,” the council’s chair Geoff Lovell wrote in a letter to parents. Lovell said recruitment firm Korn Ferry was enlisted to conduct an extensive global search for the school’s new principal. “The council is confident that, in appointing Anne as our new head of school, we have secured a leader who can fulfil the hopes and aspirations of the school community and guide Cranbrook to become the very best coeducational school it can be,” Lovell said.

Anne Johnstone's Background and Experience

Johnstone, an English and history teacher, has been principal at Ravenswood on the upper north shore since 2016 and before that head at Seymour College in Adelaide. She was also deputy headmistress at Anglican private girls’ school St Catherine’s and the school’s head of junior school. Johnstone brings a wealth of experience to Cranbrook, having led a significant period of innovation and development at Ravenswood, which included historically high demand for enrollments at the kindergarten to year 12 school. “She has implemented a positive education and wellbeing program and has helped support outstanding student academic achievements in the HSC and International Baccalaureate diploma programme. Anne has also expanded the boarding programme and fostered a strong relationship with Ravenswood’s brother school, Knox,” Lovell said. This included co-curricular activities and development of the Knox-Ravenswood cadet unit, he said. “Her commitment to educational excellence, including co-curricular and the wellbeing of students, is aligned closely with Cranbrook’s vision and mission,” Lovell said.

A Turbulent Year for Cranbrook

The announcement caps a tumultuous year for the school after an ABC Four Corners program detailed claims of bullying and allegations of a toxic culture, and allegations that Sampson was aware a teacher had sent sexually explicit messages to a former student at another school but failed to notify the council. That program triggered the resignation of Sampson, who had served as head of the $46,500-a-year school for a decade. In June, Cranbrook made a confidential settlement with Sampson and said the basis for his resignation “may have caused confusion”. In 2022, Cranbrook announced it would become co-educational, accepting girls in years 7 and 11 from 2026, and would become fully co-ed by 2029. That decision – and the timing of the school’s co-ed move – sparked a bitter dispute that later led to the mass exodus of its former council and council president Jon North. The appointment of Johnstone as headmaster marks a new chapter for Cranbrook, one that will see the school navigate the challenges of becoming co-educational while rebuilding trust and restoring its reputation.

Moving Forward

Michele Marquet, the head of the junior school and a Cranbrook veteran of 26 years, has been serving as acting head of the school since March. Lovell said Stuart Meade, who was deputy headmaster of Cranbrook from 1997 to 2002, will return to be acting head of school for term 2 next year, with Johnstone to start her position at the start of term 3 2025. Marquet will return to her position as head of junior school in term 2 next year. Cranbrook's future as a co-educational institution promises a new era for the prestigious school, and Anne Johnstone’s leadership will be crucial in guiding this transition. It remains to be seen how Johnstone will navigate the challenges ahead, but her appointment signals a commitment to inclusivity and a fresh start for Cranbrook.