Interactive list: Adelaide Hills, eastern and inner south school enrolment numbers and student/teacher ratios
Our searchable database reveals the public and private schools with the best ratio of teachers to students in a zone encompassing the eastern suburbs, inner southeast and Adelaide Hills.
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Springbank Secondary College, which only a few years ago was on the brink of merging with Unley High amid falling enrolments, has the best student to teacher ratio in the district.
According to latest data from the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority, the school — which changed its name late last year from Pasadena High — has the lowest student/teacher ratio of any mainstream school in the east, Hills and inner southern suburbs, at 7.3.
It was followed by Annesley College, which is again building up its numbers after falling on hard times several years ago, with 8.8 students for every teacher.
Seymour College has 9.4 students per teacher and the Australian Science and Mathematics School with 9.7 students for every teacher.
The schools best resourced in raw teaching numbers also include several that cater for students with special needs.
At the other end of the scale, Hawthorndene had 20.2 students for every teacher, followed by St Thomas’ School with 19.8 students per teacher.
According to ACARA, the national student/teacher ratio was 13.5 students for every teacher.
However, student/teacher ratios do not take into account teacher aides or non-teaching staff at schools — only the full-time equivalent teachers.
In each school, average class sizes should not exceed 26 students from Reception to Year 2; 30 from Year 3-7; 29 from Year 8-10 and 26 in Year 11-12.
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See the statewide data for enrolments and student/teacher ratios
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The Education Department says “raw staff to student ratios” does not provide useful information about a school and a range of variables means student/teacher ratios do not necessarily equate directly to class size.
“Overall class sizes are influenced by how much funding a school receives based on its level of disadvantage, the programs on offer and how it deploys its resources,” a department spokesman said.
“For instance, schools with special units and special classes for disability will have lower ratios.”
However, Catholic Education SA said student/teacher ratio was a “reasonable raw measure” of class size.
“We aim to have class sizes that optimise student learning,” assistant director Michael Kenny said.
“Variables such as the needs and ages of the students, additional assistance available, and other relevant factors are all considered when forming classes.”