Listed: Student to teacher ratios for every SA public and private school

How many students does your child’s teacher have to deal with? We’ve compared SA’s teacher-student ratios – see how your school stacks up.

At one top Adelaide private school, class sizes are kept small and are determined by factors including subject, year level and individual student needs.

Westminster School in Marion has just over 10 students per teacher with total enrolments at about 1250 last year.

It is among schools with the lowest number of students per teacher as The Advertiser can reveal the 2023 ratios for every school in the state.

Director of teaching at the school, Angela Phillips, said splitting classes to smaller sizes “allows teachers to spend more time with students”.

Year 11 students at Westminster, Ryan and Siobn, are feeling the positive impact of having more dedicated teachers.

“In class, I ask a lot of questions and I always get my questions answered,” Ryan, 16, said.

His classmate, Siobn, also 16, said more teachers helps her feel confident in class.

All of the 10 schools with the lowest student-teacher ratios last year were located in regional areas.

Marree Aboriginal School, which has just 18 students enrolled, had the lowest ratio at 2.8.

Across the state the average ratio for small schools was 13.3 students per teacher, 15.6 for medium sized campuses and 13.6 for large schools.

Northern Adelaide Senior College has the highest ratio of about 21 students per teaching staff member.

Westminster has one of the lowest student to teacher ratios in the state. Westminster director of teaching Angela Phillips, director of learning Andrea Sherwood with students, Siobn and Ryan, both 16. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Roy VanDerVegt

But student-teacher ratios are not necessarily linked to class size, Education Minister Blair Boyer said.

“Student-teacher ratios are a broad indicator of staffing across schools,” Mr Boyer said.

The Education Department will step in with a capacity management plan at schools in high demand so families can send their children to their local school.

SA Primary Principals Association president Tobias O’Connor said schools plan for the smallest class sizes they can “that fit within their budget”.

“Some areas of the state are experiencing teacher shortages more than others and this puts pressure on all staffing demands,” Mr O’Connor said.

The average student-teacher ratio is about 13 students per teacher for independent schools, Association of Independent Schools SA chief executive Anne Dunstan said.

“Smaller class sizes can foster personalised learning experiences, allowing teachers to tailor their approaches to individual student needs,” Ms Dunstan said.