Executive Leadership
School leadership is executed through the Principal, the Executive Team and the Council of Governors.
Dr Deborah Netolicky
Principal
Joining Walford in 2023 as the school’s ninth principal, Deborah brings more than 20 years of experience teaching and leading in outstanding schools in Australia and England: Presbyterian Ladies’ College Perth, Methodist Ladies’ College Melbourne, Caulfield Grammar School Melbourne, Brentford School for Girls London, Ibstock Place School London, Wesley College Perth, and St Mark’s Anglican Community School Perth. A dedicated school leader and lifelong learner, Deborah holds a doctorate in effective school change and sits on national and international education committees. Her research, writing, and leadership have been consistently recognised through awards, and she is often invited to contribute to education conferences, peer-reviewed academic journals, books, and media. In 2022 she was named on The Educator Australia’s ‘Hot List’ of innovative educators and ‘Most Influential Educator’ list. Deborah is passionate about education that empowers girls and young women to live lives of courage, compassion, and growth. She is committed to building positive school cultures of trust, inclusivity, and excellence.
Georgina West
Head of Senior School
Georgina West commenced the role of Head of Senior School in 2016 following her experience as a leader in another independent girls’ school in Adelaide. Georgina’s belief in a rigorous education that is balanced with opportunities to support others beyond the school community is central to her leadership of the Senior School. She empowers young women to see the possibilities of the endless pathways before them and models the importance of lifelong learning through her own studies. Georgina has undergraduate and postgraduate qualifications in education and is presently undertaking a law degree through the University of Sydney.
Alice Speirs
Acting Head of Middle School
Alice Speirs is a dedicated and passionate teacher, with an interest in building agency and supporting the potential of our students, both in and out of the classroom. After a ten-year career as a Chartered Accountant, Alice made the move to education. Her philosophy for teaching economics and legal studies is to encourage students to engage with the world in meaningful ways, providing opportunities for students to analyse contemporary and relevant issues, often drawing on our school community for experiences outside the classroom and engagement of subject matter experts. As a past president of the Business and Enterprise Teachers’ Association, Alice has been the recipient of an Outstanding Service award for her contributions to the teaching profession.
Kate Barber
Head of Junior School
Kate’s professional experiences span across Early Years, Primary and Tertiary settings. She joined the Executive Leadership Team at Walford in 2022 .
Kate is passionate about designing opportunities and learning spaces for young girls, that enrich the personalised journey from Early Learning to the Upper Primary educational setting.
Kate values wellbeing as an integral element of the curriculum and demonstrates genuine warmth, energy and care when working with young learners and their families.
With an unwavered focus on core curriculum foundations, Kate’s vision extends to incorporate multimodal and digital literacies, as essential elements of contemporary education. Kate has a postgraduate Masters in Gifted Education.
Brian Parsons
Director of Learning and Teaching
Brian Parsons’ thirty years in education has been spent in regional and metropolitan schools where his journey into leadership commenced in a combined role as Curriculum Development Coordinator and Head of Science. Committed to pedagogical practices that move students from surface to deep learning, Brian’s work in schools has been complemented by almost twenty years in curriculum development and assessment with the SACE Board, primarily in the field of Physics. Brian has completed a Master of Education (Educational Leadership) from UniSA. As Director of Learning and Teaching, Brian works collaboratively with teachers and leaders to create and deliver meaningful learning experiences that promote agency and prepare students for life beyond the school gates.
Nancy Johnson
Director of Finance and Corporate Services
Nancy was excited to make the move to South Australia and join Walford in 2019. She has extensive finance and business management experience across a broad range of industries including health, mining, shipping and retail. Nancy is a member of CPA Australia and holds qualifications in International Business, Marketing, Accounting and Finance and Secondary Education. Nancy plays a pivotal role in financial management and strategic direction of Walford and is passionate about using her skills and experience to enable the delivery of high quality education at Walford.
April Ridgway
Director of Marketing and Community Engagement
April Ridgway is a seasoned marketing and communications executive who is dedicated to building community and passionate about developing communications and marketing activities at strategic and operational levels. In her previous role as the Director of Communications and Marketing at Wilderness School, April was a member of the School’s Executive and led the Marketing and Admissions Department. Prior to this she was Marketing Coordinator of the SACE Board of South Australia, Marketing Officer at the University of South Australia, and Publications Coordinator at Mercedes College. She has a Bachelor of Public Relations and Marketing, a Graduate Certificate in Marketing, and is trained in Cognitive Coaching. April is known for leading the design and execution of sophisticated, high-quality marketing, enrolments and engagement strategies, materials and campaigns.
