Ravenscroft School

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For the preparatory school in Somerset, England, see Ravenscroft School (Somerset).

Ravenscroft School is an independent college preparatory school located on the outskirts of Raleigh, North Carolina. It enrolls students from pre-school through grade 12. Founded in 1862 by members of Christ Episcopal Church, the school continued under their principles until 1966 when it became non-sectarian.

[edit] School facts

The School is named for the first Episcopal bishop of North Carolina, John Stark Ravenscroft, who until several years ago was only rumored to have been buried beneath the altar of Christ Church in Raleigh. During renovations of the church in the early 2000's the bishop's remains were discovered during an excavation below the church's altar.

There are three school divisions: Lower School (pre-K-fifth), Middle School (sixth-eighth), and Upper School (ninth-twelfth). The School incorporates athletics and fine arts into the academic schedule. The Lower School currently enrolls 478 students; the Middle School enrolls 282 students; the Upper School enrolls 404 students. The School's mission is: "The Ravenscroft community, guided by our legacy of excellence, nurtures individual potential and prepares students to thrive in a complex and interdependent world."

Ravenscroft School is one of the most academically challenging schools in North Carolina. The average SAT for the Class of 2006 was just under a 1300 on the 1600 scale. The Class of 2006, with only about 90 students, sent 100% of the students to different universities, some of which included Harvard, Duke, Georgetown, Washington in St. Louis, Wake Forest, North Carolina-Chapel Hill, Johns Hopkins, and Vanderbilt.^{[citation needed]}

The athletic programs at the school include football, soccer, tennis, golf, basketball, swimming, field hockey, volleyball, lacrosse, track, cross country, baseball, and softball. The athletic program at the school is very strong, with many NCISAA and conference championships, particularly in swimming and basketball.