The NSW Government has unveiled designs for the new Northern Beaches Secondary College (NBSC) Freshwater Campus, which will go from a senior campus to including Year 7 and 8 from 2027 and a full Year 7 to 12 campus thereafter.
Go back a step?
On 5 December 2024, the NSW Department of Education announced NBSC Freshwater Senior Campus would expand from a Year 11 to 12 seniors-only campus to a full Year 7 to 12 high school campus under major changes to Northern Beaches co-educational schooling.
This was in response to the NSW Government’s promise to make co-education available to all students. No changes were made to single-sex schools like Mackellar (NBSC Mackellar Girls Campus) and Balgowlah Boys (NBSC Balgowlah Boys Campus) or Manly Selective (NBSC Manly Campus) following strong resistance from the community.
Originally, NBSC Freshwater campus was due to accept Year 7 and Year 9 students in 2026 and then operate as a full Year 7 to 12 campus in 2027. However, after strong backlash from the Freshwater Senior students and parents (which included a student walkout in February this year), the changes were pushed back by 12 months.
The plans
The Government today announced they will deliver a brand-new two-storey building at the campus.
It’s essentially a second level where an existing single storey building already is, which operates as a woodworking room.
The woodwork building will be rebuilt to include a brand-new fitness suite and classrooms, new woodwork classrooms and workshops, as well as a visual arts workshop including a dark room.
No playground space will be built on.
The Ground floor of the new building. Image: Department of Education“This plan will transform the Freshwater Campus, giving students a modern, high-quality school where they can access a world-class public education,” Acting Minister for Education and Early Learning, Courtney Houssos said in a statement.
“The Minns Labor Government, with the leadership of Deputy Premier and Education Minister Prue Car, has listened to the feedback from the local community to ensure these upgrades meet the needs of the Freshwater community,” she added.
“With this upgrade, the Minns Government continues to deliver on our record education funding commitment announced in the 2025-26 Budget, which includes our investment in the new Freshwater campus.”
The new building’s second storey will have an exclusive space for senior students and will include a library and five new classrooms, along with two smaller study rooms.
“We’ve listened to our community and made significant efforts to preserve a focus on senior learning at the Freshwater Senior Campus,” Northern Beaches Secondary College Freshwater Campus Deputy Principal Catherine Moran said.
“The plans provide Year 11 and 12 students with a distinct space to study and collaborate within their year groups.
“We understand the importance of this dedicated environment to enhance their learning experience and academic performance, while ensuring quality learning environments for all students in the future Year 7 to 12 campus.”
The rest of the school will see an upgrade of the existing facilities including upgrades to the vocational education kitchen, classrooms and art rooms.
But not everyone was impressed, with conversations at times heated at an information session held tonight, 8 September, at the school hall.
“What a disaster,” Manly Observer overheard one teacher say to another upon viewing the plans.
There were several passionate parents and some students (and a few neighbours), angry at the planned change from a senior campus to Year 7 to 12, including P&C representatives who shared they were frustrated by a lack of access to information that helped form the decision in the first place.
P&C Chair Sam Williams said ardent supporters of the school intended to mount a legal challenge against the move (more on that at the end).
“You actually don’t understand why you would need a senior campus until your kids are at the point of needing a senior campus,” he said.
“They often need a change of friends and friendship groups. You know, there’s a lot of mental health issues that have been presented, and then they come here, and are essentially without those mental health issues, because it’s such a positive environment.
“It’s a jewel in the crown of public education. Why would you mess with something that on every single metric is absolutely fantastic?”
Manly Observer also spoke to parents of prospective students from nearby primary school Harbord and Curl Curl North who said they were relieved to have the option of Freshwater.
“They say why not go to Forest or Balgowlah or Mackellar high schools but there’s this really great school right here in our community that won’t be an hour on a bus to get to,” one parent said.
“We want our kids to stay with their primary school mates and stay connected here in our community. I think more primary school student parents need to make their support known.”
One parent, who wished to remain anonymous, did share concerns that teachers may be hostile towards younger students given the teacher community did not seem in favour of the plan.
Schools like Brookvale Public School have welcomed the decision for a full high school at Freshwater but have voiced their concern over being excluded from Freshwater High’s catchment.
It was revealed in the information session that the school size would remain largely as it is (about 780 ~), with 120 in each year 7 to 10 and then a larger cohort of about 320 in the senior years.
An education spokesperson confirmed 160 expressions of interest had already been received for Year 7, 2027.
What’s next?
The construction tender will be awarded later this year with construction to commence early 2026.
The Government confirmed the upgrades will be ready for the introduction of Year 7 and Year 8 on their first day in 2027, with the school transitioning to a full high school in 2028.
Save Freshwater Senior Campus
The Freshwater Senior P&C updated members of the Save Freshwater Senior Campus Facebook group that the Minister and Department of Education have ignored their repeated requests for meetings and for the information used to justify the expansion of Freshwater Senior Campus to be made available. This includes current enrolment figures for Year 6, 2026 students at Harbord Public School, Curl Curl Public School, Manly Village Public School and Brookvale Public School (Brookvale Public School is not in the Freshwater Campus catchment).
Back in 2024, the Department put forward four proposals to the school community. Proposal A, which the Department said was favoured by the majority, was to move NBSC Freshwater Senior Campus from a Year 11 to 12 campus to a full high school.
During the Freshwater Senior walkout, Manly Observer heard from prospective and current students and parents at Freshwater Senior Campus who shared their concerns of dismantling a successful specialised senior teaching model that many described as a “second chance” and “lifeline” for students. The Save Freshwater Senior Campus group started a fundraiser at the start of the year to mount a legal challenge against the Department.
We’ve been following this story from the start:
Government floats major changes to Northern Beaches high schools
Northern Beaches single sex schools ‘saved’ as Freshwater Seniors gets major shake up
New local intake areas for Northern Beaches High School shake up
Freshie students walkout over Department’s decision to add Years 7-10
Written by Avi Vince with Kim Smee
