Introducing Walford’s 2026 and Beyond Strategic Plan
04 March 2026
Walford is proud to launch Her Best, Her Way: 2026 and Beyond, our Strategic Plan for the next chapter of Walford. Released to coincide with International Women’s Day, it sets a clear, values-led direction for how we will educate, support and empower girls and young women in a world that is changing quickly.
This Plan builds on the momentum of recent years and sharpens what makes Walford distinctive: an education that is high-performing and deeply personal, in a community where every girl is known, challenged and supported to grow.
A purposeful and personal education for girls
International Women’s Day calls us to action for all women and girls. Walford was founded with that same conviction: that girls deserve an education that expands their opportunities, strengthens their voice, and equips them to lead lives of meaning and contribution.
Since its inception, Walford has been a school committed to the education and empowerment of girls. When suffragette Lydia Adamson opened Walford in 1893 in her family home, she imagined a better education for girls, one that developed knowledge, character, sisterhood, and the confidence to shape a purposeful life.
Walford’s motto, Virtute et Veritate, to live with moral courage and truth, emerged from words written by Jean Murray, Walford’s first Prefect, in 1917. It continues to capture what we want for every student: the confidence to think clearly, act with integrity, and contribute with purpose. That spirit remains central to this Strategic Plan.
Shaped in conversation with our community
A defining feature of this Plan is how it was developed. Throughout 2025, the Council of Governors and Executive Leadership Team listened carefully through surveys, workshops and conversations with students, parents, staff and alumnae. The message was consistent: our community values exceptional teaching, a strong sense of belonging, and a school experience that supports each girl to pursue her aspirations in her own way. This partnership means that our Plan has grown from the voices of our community into a truly collaborative vision for our school’s future.
The golden thread: Her Best, Her Way
At the heart of the Plan is Walford’s signature approach: Her Best, Her Way. It reflects our commitment to honour each student’s uniqueness and to co-design learning, opportunities, care and support so every girl can thrive academically, creatively, socially, and spiritually.
Our three strategic pillars
The Plan is organised around three clear pillars, each grounded in Walford’s Vision and Values, and focused on the experience of the student.
BIG HEARTS – Close-knit community
We will strengthen belonging, wellbeing and connection across the whole Walford community, including day students, boarders, staff and alumnae. We are building a culture where girls feel safe to be themselves, supported to take risks in learning, and confident in who they are becoming.
BRIGHT MINDS – Personalised excellence
We will continue to pursue outstanding academic outcomes while broadening the pathways, enrichment and future-focused learning that help each student achieve at a high level. Learning will be rigorous and inspiring, led by expert teachers who know how girls learn and how to help each student stretch.
BRAVE FUTURES – Future-focused and human-centred
We will invest in the long-term strength of Walford through purposeful growth, strong governance, sustainability, leadership development and enduring relationships across generations. We will be ambitious for girls, attractive to outstanding educators, and committed to expanding access to a Walford education.
From strategy to action
The Walford community will bring this strategy to life through focused operational and business plans, with clear initiatives, timelines and measures. Progress will be reviewed and reported annually to ensure accountability and responsiveness as the educational and socio-political landscapes evolve.
Whether you are a current family, a prospective family considering girls’ education, an old scholar, an educator, or a community member interested in how schools lead thoughtfully and in partnership with their communities, we invite you to read Her Best, Her Way: 2026 and Beyond, and to join us as we bring it to life.
