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Possibility expands when students have the confidence to explore.

Year 7 is an exciting change in a student’s journey. Their world at school becomes bigger, with new subjects, teachers, friendships, experiences and opportunities to discover where their strengths and interests might take them.

At ELTHAM, that breadth comes with the relationships and structure students need to explore with confidence, take on greater responsibility and begin discovering just how many different things they can become.

Every passion. Every possibility.

Book a Tour Enquire about Year 7
BELONGING

Finding your place in something bigger

Year 7 brings change. New subjects. New teachers. New friendships. A larger environment to navigate.

At ELTHAM, connection begins from the start.

Shared experiences give students early opportunities to get to know one another, connect with their House and begin finding their place within the wider College community.

Find your community.

WELCOME TO HOUSE

An early opportunity to connect with students across the College and begin building a sense of belonging.

Share the experience.

EUMARELLA BUSH CAMP

Challenge, reflection and time together help new relationships take shape.

Be part of something together.

HOUSE MUSIC

Creating, collaborating and performing gives Year 7 students an immediate way to participate and connect.

More to experience. More to discover.

Explore Year 7 Learning

Year 7 opens up a broader academic and social environment.

Strong foundations across core subjects are complemented by specialist, creative, practical and experiential learning, giving students different ways to think, create, collaborate, solve problems and discover what interests them.

Academic & Specialist Learning

Academic & Specialist Learning

Build strong foundations while encountering new subjects, specialist teachers and different ways of thinking and learning.

Creative & Performing Arts

Creative & Performing Arts

Create, perform, collaborate and express ideas through creative and performing arts experiences.

Sport, Culture & Physical

Sport, Culture & Physical

Build capability through movement, teamwork, challenge, participation and shared experience.

Co-Curricular & Leadership

Co-Curricular & Leadership

Try new opportunities, contribute to the community and begin developing confidence, voice and leadership.

A bigger school should never mean becoming less known.

As students move into a broader environment, the people around them continue to know them as individuals.

Mentors, Year Level Coordinators, House and classroom teachers provide different points of connection across a student’s day.

They notice what interests them, where confidence is growing, when encouragement may be needed and when a student is ready for greater challenge.

At ELTHAM, increasing independence doesn’t mean navigating school alone.

Explore Student Wellbeing
organization

MENTOR

A consistent point of connection.

Regular contact that supports students through the everyday experience of school.

compass

YEAR LEVEL SUPPORT

Guidance across the Year 7 journey.

Year Level Coordinators provide continuity as students navigate the academic and social environment.

home

HOUSE

A community within the wider College.

A place to connect, participate and contribute.

star

TEACHERS

Known enough to be challenged.

Teachers who understand their students and can recognise when to support, encourage or extend them.

TESTIMONIALS

Known, supported and connected

“At ELTHAM, we want every student to feel known, supported and confident to be themselves. Year 7 is about building those connections, discovering new interests and knowing there’s always someone there to encourage you along the way.”
Penny van Gelderen
ELTHAM College
INDEPENDENCE

Independence grows over time.

At ELTHAM, independence is not something students are simply expected to have when they arrive in Year 7.

It develops progressively.

Clear routines and expectations provide the foundation. As students become familiar with their environment, they take on greater responsibility for their learning, organisation and participation.

STRUCTURE

Clear routines, expectations and academic frameworks.

GUIDANCE

Support when students need it, with room to begin doing more for themselves.

RESPONSIBILITY

More opportunities to make decisions, organise themselves and contribute.

CONFIDENCE

Learning what they can manage through experience and challenge.

INDEPENDENCE

Taking increasing ownership of their learning and journey.

Taking increasing ownership of their learning and journey.

Explore Year 7 Learning

Year 7 gives students room to explore.

A broad range of academic, creative, practical, physical and co-curricular experiences allows students to try different things, discover emerging interests and begin recognising strengths they may not have seen in themselves before.

LEARNING & DISCOVERY

LEARNING & DISCOVERY

Think deeply, ask questions, explore new subjects and discover emerging interests.

CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS

CREATIVE & PERFORMING ARTS

Create, perform, collaborate and express ideas.

SPORT, HEALTH & WELLBEING

SPORT, HEALTH & WELLBEING

Participate, contribute to a team, challenge yourself and build confidence through movement and wellbeing experiences.

LEADERSHIP & CONTRIBUTION

LEADERSHIP & CONTRIBUTION

Develop a voice, take responsibility and contribute to the College community.

Explore Year 7 Learning Explore Co-curricular Opportunities

Participation and growth

Participation gives students opportunities to explore interests, connect with others and discover what they enjoy.

Whether through sport, music, creative activities, clubs, leadership or experiences beyond the classroom, students can try something new, develop skills and contribute to the wider College community.

Some experiences build on an existing interest. Others begin with trying something unfamiliar. Either way, students learn something about what they can do.

Explore Co-curricular Opportunities
EVERYDAY EXPERIENCE

Every day brings something different.

Year 7 students move between subjects, teachers, spaces and experiences, gradually becoming more confident in navigating their own day.

ARRIVE

Connect with friends and get ready for the day.

LEARN

Move between different subjects, teachers and learning environments.

CONNECT

Spend time with friends, mentors and teachers.

EXPLORE

Experience creative, practical and specialist learning alongside core subjects.

PARTICIPATE

Get involved in sport, House, music and opportunities beyond the classroom.

TAKE OWNERSHIP

Manage increasing responsibility as the unfamiliar becomes familiar.

What does Year 7 actually feel like?

The best way to understand Year 7 at ELTHAM is through the students experiencing it.

Meet Isobel

Every student experiences Year 7 differently.

Through Isobel, we see how a student can explore new opportunities, discover emerging interests, grow in confidence and increasingly make the ELTHAM experience their own.

Her story offers one authentic perspective on how the ELTHAM journey can broaden over time, while reinforcing that there is no single path that possibility needs to take.

TESTIMONIALS

Year 7 through our students’ eyes

“One of the best things about Year 7 at ELTHAM is how many different opportunities you get to try. I’ve discovered new interests, made great friendships and become much more confident in myself. There’s always something new to get involved in, and you really feel like you belong.”
Isobel
ELTHAM College Student
“One of the best things about Year 7 at ELTHAM is how many different opportunities you get to try. I’ve discovered new interests, made great friendships and become much more confident in myself. There’s always something new to get involved in, and you really feel like you belong.”
Isobel
ELTHAM College Student
“One of the best things about Year 7 at ELTHAM is how many different opportunities you get to try. I’ve discovered new interests, made great friendships and become much more confident in myself. There’s always something new to get involved in, and you really feel like you belong.”
Isobel
ELTHAM College Student
FUTURE PATHWAYS

Year 7 is the beginning of a much bigger journey.

What students begin developing in Year 7 continues to evolve as they move through ELTHAM.

With each stage comes greater choice, responsibility and opportunity to apply their learning in different ways.

No two journeys need to look the same.

YEAR 7

Explore broadly. Build strong foundations. Discover new interests.

MIDDLE YEARS

Deepen interests, strengthen learning habits and take greater ownership.

YEAR 9

Apply learning in real-world environments and develop greater agency and self-management.

Explore the Year 9 City Experience

SENIOR YEARS

Make increasingly individual choices around learning, leadership and future pathways.

Explore Senior School

BEYOND ELTHAM

Move forward with a stronger understanding of who you are, what matters to you and what you’re capable of.

From Programs to Possibilities

At ELTHAM, programs create opportunities. What matters most is what those opportunities allow each student to experience, discover and become.

Explore the Year 9 City Experience Explore Senior School

Questions about Year 7?

Every family’s decision is different. Here are some of the questions families commonly have when considering Year 7 at ELTHAM.

What happens before my child’s first day?
How do mentor groups and Houses work?
What will my child study in Year 7?
How do students manage different teachers, subjects and classrooms?
What opportunities can Year 7 students get involved in?
How are families kept informed and connected?

What happens before my child’s first day?

Transition into Year 7 begins with opportunities for students to become familiar with their new environment, build connections and start getting to know the people who will support them.

Once the year begins, shared experiences including House activities and the Year 7 Outdoor Education program help students strengthen friendships, build confidence and develop a sense of belonging within the wider College community.

How do mentor groups and Houses work?

Every Senior School student has a dedicated mentor, providing a consistent point of connection throughout their school experience. Each school day begins with dedicated mentor time, giving students regular opportunities to check in, seek guidance and build a strong relationship with an adult who knows them as an individual.

Students also belong to one of ELTHAM’s four Houses: Bell, Evelyn, Nillumbik or Ross. House experiences create opportunities to connect with students across the College, participate in shared activities and develop a strong sense of community.

What will my child study in Year 7?

Year 7 students build strong foundations across English and Mathematics, alongside Languages, Science, Humanities, Physical Education and Sport.

Their experience also extends beyond core subjects through specialist, creative, practical and experiential learning, giving students opportunities to explore different ways of thinking, creating, collaborating and learning.

How do students manage different teachers, subjects and classrooms?

Independence develops progressively at ELTHAM. Students are supported as they become familiar with moving between different subjects, teachers and learning environments and begin taking greater responsibility for their organisation and learning.

Mentors, Year Level Coordinators and classroom teachers provide different points of guidance and connection, so greater independence does not mean students are expected to navigate Senior School on their own.

What opportunities can Year 7 students get involved in?

Year 7 students can explore opportunities across sport and physical activity, music and performing arts, STEM and innovation, clubs and social groups, leadership, outdoor experiences and other co-curricular activities.

The emphasis is on giving students opportunities to try different things, build on existing interests and discover new ones as they become part of the wider ELTHAM community.

How are families kept informed and connected?

Strong communication between school and home is an important part of supporting students through Senior School.

Mentors provide a consistent connection for students and play an important role in communication with families, helping create a connected support network around each student.

Come and experience Year 7.

Book a Tour

Choosing a school is about more than understanding what it offers.

It is about seeing the environment, meeting the people and imagining your child within it.

Come and experience how Year 7 at ELTHAM opens up a broader world of learning, interests and opportunity, with the relationships and structure that allow students to find their place and increasingly make that experience their own.

BOOK A TOUR

BOOK A TOUR

See ELTHAM in action and experience the Year 7 environment firsthand.

ATTEND AN EVENT

ATTEND AN EVENT

Meet our people and experience more of the ELTHAM community.

ENQUIRE

ENQUIRE

Speak with our Admissions team about Year 7 and your family’s next steps.

APPLY

APPLY

Ready to begin your ELTHAM journey?

Every passion. Every possibility.