Perhaps you remember the year 2000? The clocks ticked over, the world held its breath, and despite all the Y2K panic, the lights stayed on. But one thing didn’t change overnight: paper. So much paper.

If you worked in a school back then, or even five years ago, you probably remember the towering piles of enrolment forms, student records, and signatures. Admin teams were drowning in duplication, handwritten corrections, and phone calls chasing missing documents.

And while we may have swapped books for iPads, many schools still find themselves juggling clunky systems that just don’t talk to each other. That’s exactly the situation Willetton Senior High School in Perth, Western Australia found themselves in.

The Challenge: Scaling Admin in One of WA’s Largest Schools

With nearly 3,000 students, Willetton SHS is one of WA’s largest public independent schools. Managing enrolments the old-fashioned way just wasn’t sustainable.

Each student enrolment application involved:

• Endless paperwork
• Constant follow-ups
• Manually entering data in multiple places
• Wasted hours for staff who were meant to be supporting students

Something had to change.

The Turning Point: Saying Goodbye to Paper

The Results: More Time, Less Stress

• From a multi-person process to just one enrolment officer: Before Paperly, the enrolment team were stretched thin. Now, a single staff member can manage the entire intake.

• Less email ping-pong: Instead of back-and-forth chains, staff are automatically notified when tasks need action. Reducing email chaos and confusion.

• More inclusive for families: The built-in translation features meant parents could complete everything without needing extra help, reducing admin workload and making the process smoother for everyone.

• Fewer mistakes, more complete submissions: Parents are prompted when a form is missing or incomplete. No more guessing games.

What This Means for Other Schools

Willetton’s experience shows what’s possible when schools stop fighting their systems and start simplifying them. Whether you’re leading a large school or just looking for a smarter way to manage admin, the beauty of Paperly is that it’s completely bespoke to your school’s needs. Plus, our system seamlessly integrates with all of your school’s existing systems, reducing the digital learning curve for staff, teachers and parents.Â

Final Thoughts: School Admin, Reimagined

We may not be in the year 2000 anymore, but a lot of schools are still stuck in that old, paper-based world. Willetton Senior High School proved that change is possible and that it doesn’t have to be painful. With the right tools (and a little help from our team at Paperly), your school can simplify its systems, better support its staff, and start moving forward.

Schools like Willetton are not just improving their efficiency and systems, but they’re preparing their school with the technology foundations required to provide a competitive, and compelling learning environment for their students.Â