SA’s elite schools keeping up with the college next door: Walford is latest private school to announce upgrade
AN Adelaide all-girls’ school is the latest private college to reveal a major upgrade: despite fees in excess of $25,000 for Year 12, it’ll fundraise to pay for the revamp. We look at who’s doing what — and why.
- Prince Alfred College and Saint Peter’s Girls School to join St Peter’s College in charging more than $25,000 in Year 12 fees
- First look at multimillion-dollar upgrade of girls’ school in Adelaide’s east
- Elite Adelaide private school to expand middle school campus
- Prince Alfred College releases its plans for a bridge over The Parade
- What this elite Adelaide school plans to do with old Sanitarium site at Hackney
WALFORD girls’ school has unveiled plans to redevelop its Hyde Park campus, becoming the latest private school to commit to a major upgrade.
The school’s un-costed, five-year masterplan includes refurbishing the heritage-listed Reed House as a science and technology hub, creating a new drama and music studio and upgrading its visual arts precinct.
Walford’s Old Hall would be demolished to create room for outdoor play areas, while a new pavilion is planned for the school’s sports oval, at the corner of Unley and Cross roads.
Principal Rebecca Clarke last week said the project was designed to meet the “present and future needs” of students and teachers.
“A school needs to be able to change and be flexible and responsive … which all of these spaces will be,” Mrs Clarke said.
“While they might (be used for) science and technology today and tomorrow, they could be a completely different space in the future.”
Mrs Clarke said the school — which this year increased its Year 12 student fees by 3.9 per cent to more than $25,000 — would fundraise to pay for the upgrade.
Walford is the sixth private school across the east and inner south to have unveiled plans for a campus upgrade in the past two years.
Pembroke School is spending $25 million on a science, art and technology building, Prince Alfred College has plans for a new five-storey boarding house, while St Peter’s Girls has started work on a $9 million redevelopment of its middle school, library, science labs and gym.
St Peter’s College last year bought the old Sanitarium factory on Hackney Rd with plans to expand its playing fields, and Seymour College is planning to revamp its Portrush Rd entrance.
All of the schools have increased their Year 12 fees for 2017, with St Peter’s College charging families almost $26,000 to send their children to the Hackney school.
Mrs Clarke denied Walford’s proposal was in response to redevelopments at other schools, saying it was “tailored to (Walford’s) unique needs”.
Association of Independent Schools SA chief executive Carolyn Grantskalns said the private schools’ investment in new buildings was recognition that the “traditional teaching environment” was changing.
“The traditional classroom, with four walls and desks all facing the same way, is no longer appropriate for the type of teaching that is occurring,” Mrs Grantskalns said.
“There needs to be room for more flexible use of IT, for instance.”
Mrs Grantskalns suggested the State Government’s $250 million low-interest loan scheme for private schools building new science and technology labs, announced in last year’s state budget, “might possibly” have encouraged the schools to fast-track redevelopment plans.
“The timing is often not to dissimilar to a homeowner working to maintain their home,” she said.
“You renovate when you have a need, and when you have the money.”