Ravenscroft School is a coed independent private school located in Raleigh, North Carolina. The school enrolls students between PreKindergarten and 12th grade, and serves 1,254 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.
Academics
Ravenscroft is an independent, co-educational college preparatory day school enrolling 1,254 students, pre-K through grade 12. Ravenscroft employs more than 250 faculty and staff.
The elementary school (referred to as the Lower School) has approximately 460 students ranging in grades from pre-K to 5th grade.
The Middle School at Ravenscroft serves approximately 300 students in grades 6th through 8th. The Middle School operates on an eight-day cycle, during which each course meets six times with a long session.
The high school (referred to as the Upper School) has over 470 students. In the 2019-20 school year, 273 students took 558 advanced placement exams. The Upper School operates on an eight-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 Jones 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 (boys and girls), 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 (NCISAA) and competes in the 4A division.
NCISAA Championships
2016 NCISAA Girls' Swimming State Champions (4th time in a row)
2016 NCISAA Boys Lacrosse State Champions
2015 NCISAA Football State Champions
2012 NCISAA Boys Basketball State Champions
2013 NCISAA Girls Lacrosse State Champions
Notable alumni
Andy Andrews, former professional tennis player
Nathan Baskerville, member of the North Carolina House of Representatives
Anderson Boyd, filmmaker
Cameron Castleberry, professional women's soccer player
Isaac Copeland, professional basketball player
Anton Gill, professional basketball player
Nora Grossman, film producer
Michael C. Hall, actor best known for his roles in Six Feet Under and Dexter
Antwan Harris, NFL safety who won three Super Bowls with the New England Patriots Neal Hunt, Republican member of the North Carolina General Assembly from the 15th district Ryan Kelly, NBA player Armistead Maupin, author Emily Procter, actress best known for her roles in CSI: Miami and The West Wing Hughes Winborne, Oscar-winning editor of Crash Smedes York, former mayor of the city of Raleigh, North Carolina Kofie Yeboah, popular internet personality and video producer for SB Nation, known for his work on the popular series "Fumble Dimension" with Jon Bois. English Bernhardt, actress best known for playing Cady Heron in the Mean Girls U.S National Tour