Ravenscroft School is a coed independent school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school enrolls students between kindergarten and twelve grade, and serves 1,200 students. The school has three divisions: Lower School, Middle School, and Upper School.
History
Ravenscroft is named for John Stark Ravenscroft, the first Episcopal bishop of North Carolina and first rector of Christ Episcopal Church in Raleigh, North Carolina. The idea of a parish school for Christ Episcopal Church was born when Josiah Ogden Watson bequeathed $5,000 to the church to employ a teacher for a new parish school in 1852. His silent bequest became known in 1862, and the church began the process of opening a new school – Ravenscroft School. Founded in 1862, Ravenscroft continued under the auspices of Christ Episcopal Church until 1966 when it became non-sectarian. Housed in locations such as Raleigh's Christ Church, St. Saviour's Chapel and on Tucker Street, Ravenscroft moved to its current location in 1969 with plans to expand to include a high school. At the same time, in 1969, Ravenscroft graduated the last 8th grade class from the Tucker Street. In 1971, the dedication of the Middle School and Upper School took place and, in 1973, Ravenscroft School graduated its first class of seniors.
School characteristics
Ravenscroft is an independent, co-educational college preparatoryday school enrolling 1,207 students, pre-K through grade 12. The Lower School currently enrolls 444 students; the Middle School enrolls 304 students; the Upper School enrolls 459 students. Ravenscroft employs over 240 faculty and staff.
Academics
In 2011, 237 students wrote 485 AP exams with 91 percent of the scores being a "3" or better. The Class of 2011, with 102 students, achieved an SAT average of 1277 or 1924. Elementary School / Lower School The elementary school has approximately 400 students ranging in grades from prekindergarten to 5th grade. Middle School The Middle School at Ravenscroft serves approximately 300 students in grades 6th through 8th. The Middle School operates on an 8 day cycle, during which each course meets 6 times with a long session. High School / Upper School The high school has over 450 students and offers an extensive range of required and elective courses. The offerings include 33 Honors courses, and 24 AP courses for which college credit may be earned. In 2015, 227 students took 490 AP exams. 72% of the exams scored a 4 or a 5 and 89% earned a 3, 4 or 5. The Upper School operates on an 8 day cycle, during which each course meets 6 times. Each student has a study hall built into their schedule.
Fine arts
Arts education includes Band, Choir, Drama, Strings, Visual Arts, Photography, Lower School Ensembles and Group Violin, as well as private lessons made available to students of all ages. Facilities include the 454-seat theatre and a 180-seat "black-box" young people's theatre, as well as numerous studios and practice rooms.
Athletics
Ravenscroft's Athletic department offers 25 sports, and fields 53 teams in those sports at the Middle School, junior varsity and varsity levels. More than 80 percent of Ravenscroft students in grades 7-12 participate in school-sponsored athletics. The school mascot is a Raven named Edgar, after Edgar Allan Poe's poem The Raven. Facilities include: Aquatic Center with 6 lanes and upper deck viewing, 4 gyms, fitness and weight training facility, 3 lighted stadiums, 6 lighted tennis courts, 8-lane rubberized track, 2 wrestling rooms. Ravenscroft is a member of the North Carolina Independent Schools Athletic Association and competes in the 4A division. NCISAA Championships 2016 NCISAA Girls' Swimming State Champions 2016 NCISAA Boys Lacrosse State Champions 2015 NCISAA Football State Champions 2012 NCISAA Boys Basketball State Champions 2013 NCISAA Girls Lacrosse State Champions
