Camps Program
Beyond the classroom, camps build independence, deepen friendships, and stretch students in ways that formal, in class learning cannot. Our camps are deliberately sequenced across year levels to support each stage of adolescent development, challenging students progressively, fostering resilience, and connecting learning to real-world experience. For many students, camp memories become defining moments of their secondary schooling.
Year 7 — Anglesea YMCA
Part of our ‘O-Week’ orientation program, Year 7 students begin their FHS journey with a three-day coastal camp at Anglesea. Set among the surf beaches and bushland of the Surf Coast, this camp prioritises connection, with new classmates, teachers, and the natural environment. Through team challenges, outdoor activities, and shared living, students build the friendships and confidence that set the tone for their time at FHS.
The learning program is further enriched throughout the year by a range of curriculum-linked excursions and incursions that extend classroom learning into the wider world.
Year 8 — Lake Dewar YMCA
Building on Year 7, the YMCA Lake Dewar camp deepens students’ capacity for teamwork and personal challenge. Activities on and around the lake develop leadership, communication, and resilience in a supportive outdoor setting. Students return with a stronger sense of themselves and their place in the school community.
Alongside camp, Year 8 students participate in a variety of excursions and incursions that deepen their subject learning and broaden their cultural and social awareness.
Year 9 — School for Student Leadership / Ski Camp / Great Victorian Bike Ride
Year 9 offers FHS’s most ambitious camp experiences, reflecting the significance of this year in students’ development. The Alpine School is a state-recognised residential program focused on student leadership, community action, and self-discovery. A rigorous selection process is run each year to select a group of students to represent FHS. The Ski Camp combines physical challenge with the joy of learning a new skill in a spectacular alpine environment. The Great Victorian Bike Ride, one of Australia’s iconic cycling events, builds extraordinary endurance, independence, and a sense of achievement over several hundred kilometres. These two camps run on alternating years. Together, these options give Year 9 students transformative experiences at a pivotal point in their adolescence.
Complementing these camps, a rich program of excursions and incursions connects Year 9 students with community, industry, and the arts throughout the year.
Senior Camps — International Camps (Japan and Italy) and VCE Study Camp
The Senior Camps program combines global experience with purposeful academic preparation, setting students up for success across Years 11 and 12. The international camps to Japan and Italy offer curriculum-connected immersion in different cultures, histories, and ways of life, broadening perspectives, building global citizenship, and challenging students to engage with the world beyond Australia.
Alongside this, the VCE Study Camp provides structured time out of the school for a day to develop the habits, strategies, and mindset needed to thrive in senior study. With expert guidance, peer support, and dedicated focus, students leave with clarity about their goals and the tools to achieve them. Together, these experiences mark the transition into the senior years with both ambition and intention.
A targeted program of excursions and incursions across the senior years further supports VCE study, bringing subject content to life and connecting students with experts, institutions, and real-world contexts.