Pulteney Grammar School parent, former teacher slams anonymous petition

The parent and veteran former teacher has rejected claims Pulteney Grammar suffers from a ‘toxic culture’.

A former Pulteney Grammar School teacher, whose children still attend the school, says a petition airing concerns about its leadership is “like a witch hunt”.

The man who taught at the top Adelaide school for 14 years, but did not want to be named, wrote to The Advertiser amid an independent review of its leadership and operations.

The review was launched by the school’s Board late last month after a damaging online petition, with more than 100 signatures, emerged.

Pulteney Grammar School principal Cameron Bacholer took up the role in 2020. Picture: Tricia Watkinson

The Advertiser revealed on Thursday that parents, former staff and old scholars have described a “toxic culture” they claim is driving away teachers and families.

However the former teacher, who finished at Pulteney at the end of 2019, said the “anonymous petition circulated by email was like a ‘witch hunt’ for our school principal Mr (Cameron) Bacholer to resign”.

“A minority of parents may claim a ‘toxic culture’ at Pulteney Grammar School but I can assure you, the majority do not,” he wrote in an email to The Advertiser.

“The current school principal has made some interesting decisions during his tenure but we cannot say enough about the teaching staff at the school.

“Having taught in six different schools, both here in Adelaide and overseas, you don’t always get a good leader. It is difficult to get a principal that can do everything as it is ‘a life and not a job’.

“There are disgruntled parents in every school and they are a large minority at Pulteney.”

It is understood at least four staff members have left the school and a number of families have moved children to other schools as a result of changes in culture.

Mr Bacholer was appointed in 2020, during the Covid-19 pandemic, and was previously Deputy Principal at The Knox School in Melbourne.

Pulteney charges tuition fees of between $17,000 for Reception and $28,000 for Year 12.

Pulteney Grammar School on South Tce in the Adelaide CBD. Picture: Dean Martin

A recent former student who also contacted The Advertiser on Thursday, but did not want to be named, said Mr Bacholer was “well-liked” by students and “very present” on campus.

The former teacher said his children “love their school and we, as parents, are very happy”.

“We believe that the school has an excellent culture,” he said, adding the family was involved in the Pulteney Parents and Friends Association.

“The school’s (Board) are taking measures to address the current concerns at Pulteney and we agree with the process.”

In a letter sent to the school community in late August, Chair of Pulteney’s Board of Governors David Reynolds – who is also the chief executive of SA’s Department for Trade and Investment – said the independent review was expected to be complete by mid-October.

It is collecting confidential feedback and interviewing school board members, staff – including Mr Bacholer – and “interested groups”.

Mr Reynolds wrote that the board “will not express a position on matters that have been raised, to ensure we do not prejudice the review’s findings”.

In a statement issued in response to queries from The Advertiser on Wednesday Pulteney’s Board said it “remains committed to meaningful engagement with our school community”.

“The Board is allowing the independent review process to take its course,” it said.

“The School remains steadfast in our commitment to the education, care and wellbeing of our students and our staff.”