Walford Anglican School for Girls says pandemic and boutique status is reason for enrolments decline

Prestigious Walford Anglican School for Girls has blamed a 20 per cent dive in enrolments on the Covid pandemic – and the fact it prefers to retain a “boutique” identity.

Walford Anglican School for Girls has played down a large enrolments drop, saying it comes amid a reduction in international students and its “boutique and family-focused ethos”.

Latest data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority shows the school had 492 students last year, recording a dip in enrolments each year since 2016, when 618 girls attended the Hyde Park institution. That resulted in an overall 20 per cent decline.

In response to an Advertiser.com.au story at the weekend, the school has written to its community saying throughout its 130-year history, enrolments expanded and contracted to an “optimal mid-range of … 450–650 students”.

“The school has not actively sought to grow beyond this mid-range level, preferring to retain its boutique and family-focused ethos and identity, enabling each student to be known, understood and supported individually,” principal Rebecca Clarke said.

Walford School students at the 2022 Head of the River, West Lakes, in March. Picture: Michael Marschall

She said the pandemic also had an effect on enrolments.

“Whilst the Covid-19 pandemic and international border closure has resulted in a decrease in international students seeking admission over the past two years, this is now returning to pre-pandemic levels and will impact favourably on next year’s forecast student numbers,” Ms Clarke said.

The Advertiser analysed enrolment data over six years for 34 of the state’s most prominent schools, finding that of those, Walford suffered the largest enrolment decrease over that time.

The average enrolment growth across the Adelaide-based schools was 5.33 per cent.

Walford Anglican School for Girls had 492 students last year, compared with 618 in 2016.

However, at University Senior College, which introduced Year 10 students in 2020, there was a 27 per cent rise in student numbers.

Emmaus Christian College and St Andrew’s School also had big increases (24 per cent), along with Gleeson College (23 per cent) and St Peter’s Girls (18 per cent).

Ms Clarke said following feedback in a 2019 survey, Walford had implemented changes, including a refreshed middle school curriculum with new electives, extra resources for its wellbeing program and strengthened sports offerings.

She said Walford’s new head of junior school Kate Barber was leading improvements to the early learning centre and junior school years including a new Mandarin Club.

“These junior school initiatives are intended to support growth across the primary years into the future … an essential focus for improvement to keep pace with Walford’s stronger enrolment performance in middle and senior years,” she said.

Ms Clarke also said the school’s student academic outcomes were among the nation’s best.

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