Mrs Anne Johnstone
BA LLB (Hons), MAPP (UPenn), Grad Dip Ed, MACE, CF
The Principal of Ravenswood School for Girls since 2016, Anne Johnstone is an internationally recognised educational leader, renowned for her pioneering work in the field of Positive Education and the wellbeing of young people.
Anne is the Global Chair of the International Positive Education Network (IPEN) and was a founding Board Member of the national Positive Education in Schools Association (PESA). She is also the Chair of the Leadership Centre Council for the Association of Independent Schools of NSW (AISNSW).
Anne was awarded Australian School Principal of the Year and School Principal of the Year (Non-Government) at the 2024 Australian Education Awards in recognition of her innovative leadership and exemplary work in the field of education.
The Educator also selected Anne Johnstone for Most Influential Educators 2024, an award she also received in 2023, that celebrates inspirational leaders who have had a transformational impact on their students and school communities.
In 2022, the Teachers’ Guild of NSW awarded Anne the Phyllis Evans Medal, a prize that acknowledges a ‘distinguished educator of great standing’. It was the second time Anne had been recognised by the Guild, having won its Award for Excellence in Teaching early in her career.
Anne was honoured with an Excellence Award for Principal of The Year in the Australian Education Awards in 2022 and 2024, and made The Educator’s Hot List in 2022 and 2023 for her impact in designing and implementing high-quality, innovative educational experiences.
In 2019, Anne was the only woman among five international educational leaders, acknowledged for her pioneering work and internationally recognised leadership at the Positive Education Global Summit in Philadelphia.
In 2018, she received the prestigious Australian Speech and Communication Association Award for Excellence.
Anne was also the recipient of a Churchill Fellowship, during which she explored strategies to foster resilience in learning while based at Cambridge University in England.
Anne is currently undertaking a PhD in Education through the University of Melbourne and holds a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) from the University of Pennsylvania, an Ivy League institution. She also holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws with Honours, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Education.
Before her appointment as Principal of Ravenswood School for Girls, Anne was Principal of Seymour College in Adelaide. Prior to this, she served as Deputy Headmistress, Head of Senior School and Head of Junior School, and as an English and History teacher, at St Catherine’s School in Sydney.
Before pursuing her passion for teaching, Anne practised as a lawyer for four years, specialising in commercial litigation.
An internationally sought-after speaker and presenter, Anne is passionate about helping young people fulfil their potential and flourish in all aspects of their lives.