A school that listens to its community

Listening with purpose

Data helps schools measure progress, while listening helps us understand how our education offering is experienced. Holistic education recognises academic learning, wellbeing, relationships, character, agency and future readiness as interconnected dimensions of a student’s development. Yet academic results and metrics around learning growth, attendance, participation and wellbeing cannot fully capture what it feels like to learn, belong and grow within a school community.

Genuine consultation allows schools to understand the experiences of those in our communities and consider them alongside data, research and professional judgement.

 Listening in many ways

 At Walford, we listen through formal surveys and consultation forums; student, parent, staff and old scholar committees; conversations with families; community events; and the everyday interactions that reveal how school life is being experienced.

Walford’s motto, Virtute et Veritate, calls us to act with moral courage and truth. There is courage in inviting honest feedback, including perspectives that may be complex or difficult to hear. There is truth in looking beyond averages and headline results to understand the range of experiences within our community.

Broad consultation informed the development of Walford’s 2026 and Beyond Strategic Plan and continues as our strategic priorities are translated into daily experience. We know that strategy is meaningful when it can be seen and felt in classrooms, relationships, opportunities, and the wider life of the School.

Our community surveys provide one important lens within this broader approach. They help us identify patterns over time, test whether our educational intentions are being experienced in practice, and understand where further attention may be needed. In addition to student and parent views, staff perspectives help us to ensure that the conditions in which educators work positively influence the quality and sustainability of teaching, relationships and student support.

What our community values

Walford’s 2026 parent and student surveys affirm many of the qualities at the heart of Walford’s distinctive educational offering.

"One of the things we value most about Walford is its strong sense of community. Having three boys at a much larger school, I've seen firsthand how different the experience can be. Walford's smaller size allows teachers to truly know each child as an individual, and the smaller class sizes provide the support and attention that help students thrive." - Year 3 parent

• Parents expressed particularly strong confidence in teaching and the learning environment.
• 94% were satisfied with the quality of teaching;
• 91% were satisfied with Walford’s safe, caring and inclusive environment; and
• 91% were satisfied with teacher–student ratios and class sizes. 

These are high levels of confidence in areas that matter profoundly to families: the expertise of teachers, the quality of relationships, the conditions for learning, and the ability to access support when it is needed.

Additionally, parents reported strong experiences of being heard, with 88% feeling comfortable sharing feedback or concerns, and 87% feeling that their opinions and suggestions were valued by School leadership. 

"I cannot speak highly enough of Walford School and of the Boarding House and all of the people working within. Walford has presented as a cut above all previous educational experiences that we have had with our four girls, both from the School and Boarding point of view." - Year 9 parent

Students similarly identified academic strength, high-quality teaching, care and class size among Walford’s defining qualities. 90% of student respondents were satisfied with academic excellence and strong academic results, while 85% expressed satisfaction with both teaching and the safe, caring and inclusive environment.

Student comments repeatedly referred to approachable teachers, calm classrooms, individual encouragement and the feeling of being known. One Year 12 student described Walford as a place where teachers are “approachable and willing to help”. Another Year 12 spoke of teachers regularly checking in and helping her remain on track. This is important to us because students are more likely to stretch themselves when they feel secure enough to take intellectual risks. Teachers can challenge students more effectively when they understand students’ strengths, interests and needs. A strong sense of belonging provides a foundation from which girls can ask questions, test ideas, recover from setbacks and develop confidence in their own capabilities. Our size allows students to be known closely as individuals while accessing the breadth, expertise and ambition of a leading girls’ school.

Listening to inform direction

Walford’s deliberately personal scale enables us to listen closely, understand individual experience and aspiration, and respond with care and educational purpose. There is a strong connection between community insight and school decision making.

Walford is proud of what our community has told us about the quality of teaching, academic ambition, personal care, and strength of relationships across the School. Our community feedback affirms Walford’s strengths while also helping us to identify where students and families seek greater choice, clearer communication, broader opportunities, and more visible avenues for student voice.

The findings uphold the distinctive value of an education in which girls are known, challenged and supported to become their best, their way. We are committed to remaining curious and responsive to the experiences of those within our community, as we listen, learn, and work to continually improve.

Dr Deborah Netolicky
Principal