As Reddam House Sydney celebrates its 25-year milestone, Executive Principal Simon Lees reflects on the culture and spirit that have defined the school to date and continue to position it well for the future.
When Reddam House Sydney students led the school’s ANZAC service in Term 2 2026, they did so with a remarkable sense of confidence and care. From planning the ceremony and extending invitations to writing the scripts, students played a central role in bringing the event to life.
For Executive Principal Mr Simon Lees, now in his second year in the role, moments like these reflect the culture of the school – where students are encouraged to contribute meaningfully to school and community life.
“When students run an event here, they run it from start to finish. They lead TEDx Youth talks, assemblies, community initiatives and service programs. We empower them to take ownership and feel proud of what they create,” he says.
That same sense of trust and independence can be found in the everyday experience of students at Reddam House Sydney too. For example, the school’s senior students can leave the campus when they’re between lessons.
“We’re treating them almost at a pre-university level, giving them the freedoms and privileges you’d expect in a true city school,” Mr Lees says. “It’s impressive to see how well it works when you genuinely give students those opportunities.
“It has been an eye opener for me – there are things that Reddam does that I would want to reintroduce in other schools I’ve led.”
These small yet significant aspects of campus life help paint a picture of the culture that has been built at Reddam House Sydney during the past 25 years. Now, the school is poised to enter its next new era with confidence, buoyed by strong academic results, a growing alumni network, and a reputation for delivering a balanced, student-centred education.
Founded in 2001, Reddam House Sydney is considered a leading co-educational, non-denominational school in New South Wales. Since its inception, its inner-Sydney campus network now covers Woollahra (pre-school to Year 9), Bondi (Years 10 to 12), and North Shore, which opened for students in kindergarten to Year 10 on the first day of Term 1, 2025. North Shore welcomed Year 11 students in 2026 and will have its first HSC cohort in 2027.
Having stepped into the role of Executive Principal in 2025 – alongside Primary School Principal Mr Warren Garratt who has been at Reddam House Sydney since its inception in 2001 – Mr Lees says the school has already achieved significant milestones, both in enrolment growth and standing within Sydney’s competitive independent school sector.
“It’s amazing because, in many ways, it’s still a young school, yet it has established so much in 25 years, both in terms of school growth but also our reputation,” he says.
Reddam House Sydney is a Top 5 School in the state for HSC results in 2022, 2023, and 2024. While it continues to strengthen its focus on academics, Mr Lees says the school’s philosophy centres on developing confident, forward-thinking, and well-rounded leaders of tomorrow. Reddam House Sydney’s non-selective model remains central to its identity too, meaning it doesn’t enrol students solely on academic performance.
“I genuinely think we offer a strong, well-rounded education. We’ve been proudly co-educational since the school was founded and work hard to foster three core pillars: academics, sport, and performing arts. In recent years we’ve also renewed our focus on strong community service, leadership, and cultural programs,” he says.
“Our students value the team approach we take to education, but they also value the fact that we recognise them as individuals. That’s a great strength in the Sydney landscape.”
It’s an approach that’s clearly resonating. Reddam House Sydney has healthy waiting lists – and the growth alongside the new Reddam House North Shore campus reflects a genuine demand for its education model, Mr Lees says.
It also helps to have the backing of Inspired Education Group that manages more than 120 independent schools, educating more than 95,000 students across 30 countries.
“The growth of our North Shore campus in the northern part of the city has been phenomenal, and it hasn’t in any way detracted from the growth or strength of Reddam House Sydney,” Mr Lees says.
“There was clearly a need for that additional campus, and it was also seen as an opportunity to serve a different section of the city. I think that’s really come to fruition. Our education model has great value and a strong reputation, and local, national and international families are increasingly wanting to be part of it.”
Marking 25 years of growth and connection
Another barometer of a school’s health is the strength of its community impact. It’s something that has become increasingly evident at Reddam House Sydney through the success of past student – or alumni – across diverse industries and pursuits.
“It’s quite amazing how much community support and networking that already exists,” Mr Lees says.
“In a relatively short period of time, our students have been successful in all fields – in the arts, in industry, and in sport. We even have Reddam alumni playing professional soccer in England.
“It’s fascinating to see the breadth and range of opportunities the school has helped provide. We’re proud and delighted with the progress of the school to date.”
As Reddam House Sydney marks its 25-year milestone, it stands well placed for the future, while already having left an indelible mark on its staff and broader community.
Three teachers who were on staff at the school’s foundation are still there today, while many former students are now returning as parents and community leaders.
Much of this will be highlighted throughout the anniversary celebrations as the school launches its Alumni Association. “The two main stakeholders helping lead our Alumni Association are two past students from our founding Year 12 graduating class who are now also current parents at Reddam,” Mr Lees says.
“It’s exciting that their children now attend the school and they’re helping to lead the Alumni Association. It’s a very positive sign when people who attended a school are willing and prepared to send their children to that same school.”
Rather than concentrating celebrations into a single event, Reddam House Sydney is structuring its anniversary as a year-long reflection on its first quarter century.
Mr Lees says the celebrations will feature a range of events across music, sport, and the arts, including a large end-of-year celebration at Sydney Town Hall.
He says the milestone will also be marked through dance, drama, and visual arts programs, alongside alumni sporting fixtures against current students later in the year.
An important part of the celebrations is ensuring current students develop an appreciation of the school’s history and understand the significance of the milestone. Assemblies throughout the year will help build that understanding, with former staff and community members from the school’s early years invited back to share in the celebrations.
A city campus with a global reach
Located just a stone’s throw from Sydney’s Centennial Park, Reddam House Sydney has evolved in a way that reflects its urban environment. Growth has come through thoughtful development and renewal, ensuring the school continues to provide outstanding learning environments while remaining true to its city footprint.
To coincide with its anniversary, the school will be launching its Master Plan – outlining its aspirations for the school’s buildings and facilities.
“We’re a very city-based school, where space is naturally at a premium,” Mr Lees says. “What’s important is that we continue to grow thoughtfully and ensure our facilities reflect the quality of education we provide.”
The school has also built strong partnerships with some of Sydney’s leading venues and organisations, allowing students access to professional-standard facilities across the arts and sport.
“If we’re presenting drama or music productions, we’ll work with places like the National Institute of Dramatic Arts,” Mr Lees says. “It’s been a very smart model for us because our students gain access to outstanding facilities and experiences.”
Mr Garratt, Reddam House Sydney’s Primary School Principal, says younger students benefit from these opportunities as well, through programs and experiences that extend beyond the classroom.
“Our students have opportunities to access facilities such as Drummoyne Swimming Centre and the Seymour Centre, and even our surfing program at Bondi Beach – it truly doesn’t get much better than that,” Mr Garratt says. “These experiences give students access to professional-level environments that enrich learning both inside and outside the classroom.”
Beyond the opportunities available across Sydney itself, Reddam House Sydney students are also connected to an international network.
This is thanks to the school’s connection to the Inspired Education Group. It’s something Mr Lees hopes to tap into more as part of Reddam House Sydney’s next growth phase.
“A good example is the leading work we’re doing in artificial intelligence. We’re conducting that as part of the global group, which is exciting because we’re not having to innovate on our own – we can tap into a world leading resource.”
Reddam House Sydney’s students also benefit from access to those 120 schools within the Inspired group. Each term, some students will embark on exchanges to places like the United Kingdom, Switzerland or Southeast Asia.
“That’s been exciting for us. We’re not just a Sydney or Australian school; we’re part of a global network of schools, and strategically that has been a game changer,” Mr Lees says.
“For me personally, it’s very reminiscent of my time working in international schools in Southeast Asia, where we had access to a wide range of global networks. This is the first time I’ve experienced that kind of global framework within an Australian context.”
It’s something the school’s teachers can tap into as well. A feature of Reddam House Sydney’s teaching cohort is the balance between long-serving educators who deeply understand the school’s model and newer staff who bring fresh ideas and perspectives.
“It’s a real strength for us,” Mr Lees says. “And beyond our own campus, we’re supported by the wider leadership network within the Inspired group, including a global education team and leaders from schools around the world who bring different perspectives on how we can continue to grow and evolve as an organisation.”
Preparing students for a changing world
Like schools around the world, the challenges facing school leaders at Reddam House Sydney are multi faceted. A topic near the top of that list is navigating the rise of artificial intelligence and the changing nature of how school’s assess and understand student learning.
“A key question is whether students truly know the work, or whether they’re relying too heavily on quickly finding answers. That’s going to be both an ongoing opportunity and an ongoing challenge,” Mr Lees says.
Mr Garratt believes AI will become an increasingly important tool in education and future workplaces, meaning there will be an even greater emphasis on developing critical thinking, creativity, communication skills and strong interpersonal relationships. These are the “uniquely human skills that technology cannot replace”.
“Another key challenge will be ensuring the curriculum keeps pace with the changing world and the future of work,” Mr Garratt says.
“As industries and careers continue to evolve, schools will need to continually expand and strengthen what is taught, preparing students not just for the jobs that exist today, but for careers and opportunities that may not yet exist.”
To prepare for this new world, Reddam House Sydney needs the teaching team to guide its students. That’s why recruiting and retaining exceptional teachers remains a key priority.
“As an industry, we have to make sure teaching continues to be a profession that attracts our top graduates. We need teaching to remain an incredibly noble and needed profession,” he says.
“Our staff retention rates are very strong, and we highly value our teaching profession. When we employ teachers here, we employ them to teach. We want them to be experts in their field, so we don’t expect them to coach multiple sports teams or run a lot of extracurricular programs; we bring in external providers or expertise to run those.
“The aim is to ensure our teachers don’t burn out by doing too many things outside their core business.”
The next 25 years
As Reddam House Sydney embarks on its next chapter, Mr Lees does so with a sense of excitement – not only about the school’s continued growth nationally and internationally, but also about preserving the culture and spirit that have defined it for the past 25 years.
“It’s going to be fascinating to track the growth of our alumni and see where our students move beyond Year 12,” he says. “While it’s wonderful to have a great school, the real measure of success is what happens beyond it.
“We want to continue being a strong academic and high performing school that is also kind and compassionate. The culture of the school is absolutely paramount.
“I would hope that what has made Reddam special to the founding students and the current students is still there in 25 years. Technology will change and buildings will change, but hopefully the spirit of the school endures.”
