Eastern Adelaide’s fastest growing schools revealed
Annesley was a school on the brink of collapse not long ago. This is how it transformed into one of the fastest growing schools in the state.
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As they progress through Annesley Junior School, students go from being zoo members to surf lifesavers to eventually being given the responsibility of looking after a relative in the wilderness.
Kids as young as five are launching their own businesses in an entrepreneurial program.
It’s no longer a high-fee school and stuffy formal uniforms have been ditched in favour of polo tops, leggings and sneakers of any colour kids like, to facilitate nature play.
Whatever they’re doing at the nearly 120-year-old Wayville school, it’s working, because it’s now one of the fastest growing in the state.
An analysis of federal government data has revealed student numbers at the college have risen 219.4 per cent in the five years to the end of 2018.
It is the fastest growing school in the eastern suburbs.
Yet less than a decade ago, the then Annesley College looked like collapsing as enrolments plummeted from close to 500 to just 23 over only a few years.
Merger bids failed, land had to be sold to pay debt and it transformed from an R-12 girls school into a co-ed junior school.
“For the start of 2020, we’ve already got 204 confirmed starters (up from 167 this year),” principal Luke Ritchie says, and that’s not counting the 160-plus kids in the early learning centre.
“We’re really focused on quite a simple message, developing the strengths and passions and skills of every (teacher) and every child.
“The product that we are putting to market, people are responding well and truly to that.”
Annesley charges a flat $8805 a year for junior school students and Mr Ritchie, who has been in charge for three years, says it is “absolutely committed” to remaining mid-fee.
“One of the other big things we did was get rid of the traditional independent school uniform.
“You can’t do (nature play) with a long-sleeved white shirt and girls in a heavy dress.
“We’re getting rid of the traditions that can sometimes hinder the performance of a school.”
That extends to teachers, for whom he “ripped up the dress code” in front of their eyes in a staff meeting.
Mr Ritchie keeps being invited to international conferences to speak on the school’s success and says it is in strong financial shape, with Year 7 being added next year.
“There’s a really huge groundswell of support for us to do the due diligence of extending to a middle school. (But) it would never be at the detriment of the junior school. We only want to remain a small community where we personalise the experience.”
Last week Annesley was the first Australian school to run a World Peace Game hosted by its inventor, US education guru John Hunter.
“It’s about creating a simulation of complex problems (such as climate change and refugee crises) and trusting children to solve them. It’s challenging and it’s complex. Feedback from students was it’s so rewarding, but so hard,” Mr Ritchie says.
In terms of fastest growing schools, Annesley was followed by Concordia College, where the number of students jumped 68.7 per cent, from 748 to 1262.
According to the college’s website, Concordia merged with St John’s Lutheran School on January 1, 2016, catering for around 1275 students from ELC to Year 12.
There was also strong growth at Goodwood Primary (27.7 per cent); Trinity Gardens (24.9); Parkside Primary School (23.3); Marryatville Primary (22.8); and Highgate School (21.6).
The Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority figures are the most up to date enrolment numbers that include all state and private schools nationally.