When Freshwater Campus welcomes its first junior students in 2027, everyone will be the new kid.
That includes the Year 8s.
Rather than joining classmates who have already spent a year establishing friendships and finding their feet, Freshwater’s first Year 8 students will all arrive together.
For families considering a change after Year 7, Principal Chantelle Phair believes this makes Freshwater a far more appealing option for new students in 2027.
“They won’t be joining an established cohort or trying to find their place among students who have already been together at the school for a year,” she said.
“As our inaugural Year 8 cohort, they will help shape the culture and traditions of the junior school from the outset. For families considering a move after Year 7, I think that is a significant advantage. Everyone starts together.”
But plenty of older students will be around to help them find their feet.
Around 70 of Freshwater’s current Year 11 students are expected to take on peer support and leadership roles when the younger students arrive next year.
Incoming school leader Eleni Leonov is among those helping Year 8 students feel at home.
“Our role is to help the kids adjust and feel comfortable, especially the Year 8s, as they’re changing schools again,” she said.
“We’ll make it smooth sailing for them.”
Fellow incoming school leader Annie Bellamy-Hawyes sees the expansion as an opportunity for senior students to help welcome the younger students.
“One of the best things about Freshie is it provides the opportunity for a fresh start,” she said.
“And they’ll have us, who understand what it’s like to change schools. Us Year 12s will be the old hands, helping everyone. It’s a generational thing, and it’s super exciting.”
Support for new students extends beyond the peer leaders, with Freshwater developing a dedicated transition program for Year 8. The program will give students opportunities to get familiar with the campus, meet staff and other students, and settle in before their first day.
The arrival of Years 7 and 8 is part of Freshwater’s broader transition from a senior-only campus, with the school operating across Years 7–12 from 2028.
For students entering Year 8, the school will offer the full Stage 4 curriculum alongside its own Year 8 Academic Extension Stream, providing a dedicated pathway for high-potential and academically motivated students.
Phair said extension and differentiation would also be built into mainstream Year 8 classes, while the school’s existing senior culture would continue to play an important role in helping younger students become more independent learners.
To accommodate the new students, Freshwater itself is changing.
The school says a new gym, classrooms, timber workshops and library will be completed by December, alongside other new and refurbished learning spaces being developed as part of the campus redevelopment.
Years 7 and 8 will also have access to sporting, creative and performing arts, leadership, academic and other extracurricular opportunities as Freshwater builds out its junior programs. Staff are currently developing those programs ahead of the first junior cohorts arriving in 2027.
For Eleni, the opportunity goes beyond asking senior students to show the younger ones around campus.
“If we can embody our school values of Agency, Community and Endeavour, we can show the juniors how to be independent in their learning,” she said.
Year 8 enrolments for 2027 are now open, with places still available and the school planning for approximately 120 students. Families are encouraged to apply early so incoming students can be included in transition and orientation planning.
For Phair, the message to families considering the move is simple: 2027 is a chance to join Freshwater at the start of something new.
For more information visit the school website.
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