As Walford prepares to enter its 134th year in 2026, the School community has much to celebrate. The 2023–2025 Strategic Plan has provided a clear framework for growth and innovation while keeping the wellbeing and learning of students at its heart. Guided by the pillars of Big Hearts, Bright Minds, Bespoke Pathways, and Bold Futures, and inspired by the enduring commitment to enable every girl to be her best, her way, Walford has strengthened its foundations as one of Australia’s leading schools for girls. A 2025 community survey confirmed the enduring strength of the four strategic pillars, each resonating strongly with parents, students, and old scholars. 

Big Hearts: Community and Wellbeing

The past three years have seen Walford expand its culture of community, connection, and care. From the unforgettable 130 Gala in 2023, to the introduction of more informal ways for families and staff to connect, the School has embraced new opportunities to bring people together. Weekly coffee van gatherings, volunteer thank-you events, old scholar reunion days, and parent engagement evenings have helped foster a strong sense of belonging. The formation of new parent committees for Music and Boarding, joining longstanding groups such as the Rowing Parent Committee, has deepened collaboration between families and staff. Student-led celebrations such as Wear It Purple Day have highlighted Walford’s commitment to inclusion. The new all-seasons Walford uniform was co-designed with community to offer students comfort, choice and practicality, celebrating individuality while honouring School tradition. 

In 2023, the School’s values were refreshed through consultation with students, reaffirming Courage, Commitment, Community, and Growth as central to the Walford identity. The Wellbeing Dog program, emerging from student ideas, has further underscored Walford’s focus on health, happiness, and connection. Staff too have played a leading role in shaping the culture, introducing initiatives such as the Humanities, English and Arts (HEARTs) Festival, the ELC to Year 2 Fairytale Ball, and the addition of chickens in the Junior School.  

A renewed commitment to Walford’s Anglican identity has strengthened the School’s spiritual life. The appointment of Reverend Michael Lane as Chaplain has brought greater presence and participation in Chapel services, assemblies and the Wellbeing, Engagement and Belonging program, while the Chapel itself has been reclaimed as a sacred and community space. Anglican identity is now more visible in School tours, communications, and student participation in Anglican schools’ events, ensuring that spiritual growth continues to complement academic and personal development. 

Bright Minds: Learning, Teaching and Academic Excellence

Walford has continued to uphold its reputation for academic strength, maintaining a consistently high median ATAR of around 90 and exceptional individual outcomes for our girls. This achievement is underpinned by a focus on professional growth and innovation in teaching. The introduction of Staff Learning Communities, the Walford Instructional Handbook, and the role of Director of Professional Growth and Operations, have created new opportunities for educators to collaborate, refine practice, and deliver exceptional learning experiences to Walford students.

Curriculum offerings have been strengthened with the introduction of the Playberry-Laser intensive multisensory literacy program, the PR1ME Mathematics program, and enhanced extension and enrichment opportunities in the Junior School. In 2025, after years in the Middle School, Walford’s Year 6 program once again became part of the Junior School, enabling Walford’s Year 6s to experience the academic program and nurturing, play-rich, inquiry-based environment of the Walford Junior School, while benefitting from access to specialist teachers and facilities on the secondary campus. 

A review of Year 10 electives has ensured they remain rigorous and relevant, while new initiatives such as Year 5 Market Day and the Year 6 and 7 Leadership Academy provide authentic opportunities for students to develop entrepreneurial and leadership skills. Adjustments to the timetable, including the removal of bells between lessons, reflect Walford’s willingness to adapt structures for student wellbeing and effective learning. 

Bespoke Pathways: Personalised Learning and Tailored Journeys

The School’s commitment to personalised learning has been significantly advanced. Individual pathway plans have been further developed, ensuring each student has access to tailored opportunities that align with her strengths and aspirations. A redesigned Year 9 camp experience, Her Journey, which launched in 2025, further embeds Walford’s commitment to learning that is personal, challenging, and transformative.

Behind the scenes, the introduction of the Edval timetabling program has made it possible to create more flexible and efficient timetables, better reflecting the needs of individuals and cohorts. This has opened doors to more stage-not-age learning and reinforced the School’s ability to deliver bespoke solutions.

Co-curricular offerings have been expanded in the Junior School, broadening opportunities for participation and discovery. Recognition has also been enhanced through the introduction of School Values Awards, the Principal’s Award, and new Dux Awards for Years 7 to 11, celebrating achievement across a wider range of endeavours. These initiatives ensure that every student can see her effort and progress acknowledged, no matter her chosen pathway. 

Bold Futures: Sustainable Governance and Ethical Leadership 

Walford has also positioned itself for the future through significant investments in leadership, marketing, and facilities. A major re-brand and the launch of a new website in 2024 strengthened the School’s profile, while a partnership with a digital marketing agency grew digital visibility and reach. In just over a year, organic website traffic rose by more than 50 per cent, leads from the website surged, and Walford rose dramatically in Google rankings. 

Operational structures have been redesigned, with the Executive Leadership Team streamlined and new roles created to support professional growth, operations, and student enrichment. Staff wellbeing has been prioritised through the launch of a Staff Wellbeing Committee and new Flexible Working Guidelines, reinforcing Walford’s commitment to being a school where staff thrive as much as students. 

Equity and opportunity have been strengthened through a reinvigorated scholarship program, including new scholarships for Indigenous students and rural and remote boarders. The Frances Adamson Scholarship was launched with the support of the Governor of South Australia, Her Excellency the Honourable Frances Adamson AC, herself a Walford old scholar. Additionally, the Elizabeth Cleland Scholarship was introduced to honour the memory of Walford old scholar and trailblazing scientist Elizabeth Cleland, thanks to the generosity of her son, Adelaide philanthropist Antony Simpson. The School’s Reconciliation Action Plan has deepened engagement with First Nations perspectives, enhanced through cultural immersion experiences for staff, new artworks, and the addition of flagpoles to fly the Australian, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander flags at the heart of campus. 

Recognition at a national level has seen Walford receive Excellence Awards in the Australian Education Awards, including Secondary School of the Year (Non-Government) in 2025, Boarding School of the Year in 2024, and Principal of the Year (Non-Government) in 2024, affirming the School’s position as a leader in girls’ education. 

These achievements have been complemented by substantial facilities projects. The completion of the Heart of Walford has transformed the secondary campus into a central green space for connection and calm, while new playgrounds for the ELC and Junior School—co-designed with students—have added joy and creativity to daily life. The Wait Building refurbishment has provided modern art studios and Year 12 common areas, while upgrades to the School Shop, Fig Tree Café and sports courts have further enhanced the campus. The Mabel Jewell Baker House redevelopment project, currently underway and due for completion before the 2026 school year, will provide a hub for Year 7s and modern classroom spaces within the bluestone heritage façade. Families have described the Walford campus as a “warm hug,” an “urban oasis,” and a “hidden gem,” which are testament to the School’s careful attention to design and belonging. 

Looking Ahead: 2026–2030 

The 2023–2025 Strategic Plan has sharpened Walford’s identity as a place where deep care meets excellence within environments designed intentionally for girls’ needs and aspirations. Initiatives of the past few years have strengthened the School’s commitment to tuning in to the evolving needs of its students and families, and fostering an environment where intellectual ambition and excitement to learn are matched by care and attention. 

2026 marks the next phase of its journey. Opportunities for community engagement such as surveys, consultation processes and community engagement events, inform Walford’s strategy. Student voice, gleaned through student committees, discussion, and the annual Festival of Ideas, is taken seriously in decision making. Principal Dr Deborah Netolicky notes, “Our achievements are a result of the collaboration of our wonderful, connected Walford community. The development of the 2026–2030 Strategic Plan is a collaborative process. Students, invested families, dedicated staff, and engaged old scholars will all be invited to contribute their ideas and perspectives.” 

Growth initiatives will remain firmly anchored in Walford’s mission to develop compassionate and courageous women who live with meaning, purpose, and principle. The vision remains clear: to be a flourishing, connected learning community where every student can achieve her best, her way.