Sydney heads back to school – and work

Across Sydney, hundreds of thousands of us are enmeshed in that late-January ritual – the scramble for new school shoes, last-minute haircuts, uniform checks and the niggling worry at the back of our minds whether we’ve made the right choices for our children.

From next week, students across NSW will be back in the classroom. Having ridden out the best part of two months of summer holidays, for many of our readers who are parents, grandparents and carers, it’s a welcome time of year.

Independent and Catholic schools returned this week, and it was a big occasion for the 52 girls who had their first day at Newington College. The girls, in kindergarten and year 5, are part of the inner west private school’s co-ed transition plan, under which more girls will enter in years 7 and 11 in 2028 before it becomes fully co-ed in 2033.

The transition has not been without drama. The Herald’s education team has closely followed each development, from Old Boys protesting at the school gates to the NSW Supreme Court challenge to have the decision reversed. The move has sparked deep division and a fierce backlash among parents and alumni alike.

But when 10-year-old Ruby Arnott and 51 other girls entered the school grounds on Wednesday, the sky did not fall in. It was a credit to those girls, and their families, who navigated not only the usual first-day nerves but also the intense spotlight their attendance attracted.

Thanks to the public spat, the Newington transition has been at the forefront of the latest round of the seemingly never-ending co-ed versus single-sex school debate. It is a debate not just limited to the private school sector.

In recent times, we have seen parents strongly oppose plans to make Balgowlah Boys and Mackellar Girls co-ed. Meanwhile, next week, three new co-educational schools will open: Asquith High School (formerly Asquith Girls), Hornsby High School (formerly Asquith Boys), and Bayside High School (formerly Moorefield Girls and James Cook High).

The debate is only likely to continue as the NSW government fulfils its promise to give co-ed options to all students by the end of next year.

It is an old joke that the most asked question in Sydney is: “What school did you go to?” – but we know how important our education coverage is to Herald readers, and our excellent education team of Christopher Harris, Sally Rawsthorne and Emily Kowal will continue to deliver that to you in 2026.

We’ve already published a searchable interactive tool enabling you to see which public schools might have availability for out-of-area enrolments. And education editor Christopher Harris also looked at a new debate in education this week, with news that The King’s School at Parramatta will start lessons 50 minutes later on Wednesdays.

The “asynchronous” learning day means students are told to do self-directed learning at home or school before normal classes begin at 9.40am. It appears some parents already need convincing of its merits.

This weekend, reporter Cindy Yin will examine another timeless education debate that has kept many a parent and carer awake at night – at what age should my child start kindergarten?

It is not just school that’s back next week. After being recalled last week following the Bondi terror attack, federal parliament resumes proper on Tuesday, with all eyes on whether the Liberals and Nationals can find a way back to each other and if the leaders – Sussan Ley and David Littleproud – will keep their jobs.

And with the Ashes well in the rearview mirror and the Australian Open tennis wrapping up over the weekend, the countdown is on for the footy season. Our league writers have taken a look at what has been happening at each of the 17 clubs this pre-season while our sporting eyes have been elsewhere. Here’s hoping it’s not another long year for the Dragons.

Have a great weekend,

Nick