Annesley College: The school of hard knocks
AFTER spending more than a century as one of Adelaide's most respected girls' schools, Annesley College's fall from grace has left many wondering what went wrong.
THE fall of Annesley College has left many wondering what went wrong at the presitigious girls' school.
On Monday night the school announced to teachers, parents and students that it would be relaunched as the Annesley Learning Community with a Reception to Year 6 school for boys and girls next year and a Women's College for Years 10 to 12 from 2013.
The innovative business model came as a shock to most, leaving about 30 students with nowhere to study and about 15 teachers out of a job as of next year.
The announcement of a new future plan for the school, however, was expected after its leadership announced in October last year the school had become unviable through a decline in enrolments.
A mass exodus of students followed with only about 100 at the school this year.
Association of Independent Schools SA executive director Garry Le Duff says schools are working in a competitive market.
"Schools have to communicate very clearly what opportunities they provide," he says. "They need to be very sensitive to any changes in demographic.
"The schools that are successful and viable have boards that are very sensitive to changes in demographic and are well aware of what is going on around them."
Last year, a merger with nearby Pulteney Grammar School seemed the most likely saviour until the proposal was shelved by the Uniting Church.
Pulteney Grammar Board chairman Richard O'Dea says from an outside perspective Annesley's downfall was a result of changes in the non-government sector and Annesley's failure to respond quickly and appropriately to the circumstances.
Key issues he lists include:
LACK of a clear target market because the school is not considered to be in the handful of top Adelaide schools but is priced above middle-tier schools.
OTHER schools have been marketing their brand better and delivering a clear point of difference.
SCHOLARSHIPS and rebates were used to keep enrolment numbers up but undermined the ability of the school to finance itself.
"Other schools moved quicker and earlier when they realised they needed to change," Mr O'Dea says.
"They were genuinely in no-man's-land."
Centre for Marketing Schools director Dr Linda Vining says inner-city schools now have stronger competition with regional schools which are often able to offer better services.
"People have a lot of options," she says. "They are not necessarily sending their children to city schools."
Dr Vining says Annesley College is about to enter a very competitive market by restructuring as a junior school.
"Christian Brothers College is opening an $11 million junior school," she says. "In a city of only 1.5 million people, there just aren't enough children."
Dr Vining says only time will tell if the school's restructure is successful.
"Parents are quite reluctant to go with a school that is struggling," she says.
"The other schools are quite sophisticated in terms of marketing.
"Parents want a school where they can put their kids almost after birth and take them out after Year 12. They don't have time to make lots of decisions and want something convenient and easy - it could be a stumbling block for Annesley."
Uniting Church moderator Rob Williams says he can't comment on the Church's role in the school's demise.
"I have not been part of the history," he says.
Annesley College Council chair Bruce Spangler says the council believes the new model provides the best opportunity to secure the longer-term future.
"The Annesley Learning Community will continue to maintain the standards and strengths of the successful Annesley Junior School and will be very attractive to parents seeking this as an educational foundation for their children," he says.
"Our business plan assumes lower fees than are currently the case."
Mr Spangler says that the students in the Women's College will be role models for the boys and girls in the junior school.
"These young women will model leadership, social responsibility and academic excellence to the younger students."