St Columba College in Andrew’s Farm records massive increases in ATAR scores, teacher retention

An Adelaide school's dramatic transformation has seen teacher retention soar by 20 per cent and year 12 results surge with the addition of a single program.

St Columba College in Adelaide’s northern suburbs has been transformed in less than two years with 20 per cent more teachers staying at the school and year 12 results shooting up.

The teacher retention rate at the Andrew’s Farm independent college increased from just 68 per cent 2023 to 87 per cent the following year.

Director of teacher development Lorna Starrs said an amped up mentoring program made teachers more comfortable at the school as a third of its educators were in their first five years in the profession.

“For some teachers, particularly those just starting out, that (student behaviour) can be a little bit challenging,” said the teacher of more than three decades.

Student results are up and staff retention has increased by about 20 per cent at St Columba College. Year 12 student Lachlan Arias, 18, year 11 student Michell de Vos, 17, and director of teacher development Lorna Starrs. Picture: Brett Hartwig.

The school’s staff numbers had been hit hard during the Covid-19 pandemic, when teachers “questioned their commitment” to the “difficult profession”.

All new teachers were assigned a mentor who would meet with them fortnightly.

Student outcomes also improved dramatically as the school’s median ATAR of 53 jumped to about 69.
St Columba College principal Darren Pitt hoped that figure would continue to climb.

St Columba College principal Darren Pitt said improvements came with a new behaviour curriculum. Picture: Supplied.

Mr Pitt credited part of the success to a new behaviour curriculum introduced in 2024, which set out clear and consistent expectations for students across the school.

“We are decreasing the numbers of distractions and we are increasing the ability of students to focus,” he said.

“We’re building stronger relationships between the teachers and the students so they’re empowered to ask good questions.”

Year 12 student Lachlan Arias said the changes had made learning environments “a lot calmer and it’s easier to communicate”.

He also had access to opportunities previously not available at the school such as the independent academic study program, run with tertiary institutions, in which the 18-year-old learned Japanese in a Harvard University program.

Originally published as St Columba College in Andrew’s Farm records massive increases in ATAR scores, teacher retention