Boarding life
Learn moreLiving and Learning at Frensham
Everyone is a boarder, not everyone sleeps over. Our programs, staffing and facilities are designed with boarders at the centre, creating a structured, 24/7 experience available to all students, whether they are a Day Boarder, Full Boarder or Weekly Boarder.
More than just a place to live, Frensham boarding is designed to enrich students’ lives beyond the classroom. With dedicated staff, tailored guidance, and a focus on wellbeing, Frensham students develop indepdence, responsibility and empathy.
Both day and boarding students thrive in a supportive, close-knit community where lifelong friendships are formed.
Although there are a number of girls’ schools that offer boarding, there are very few girls’ boarding schools. With more than 70% of our students living in residence and a relatively small student population of 360, we are unique in the Australian context.
Extended Day Program
View an Example TimetableProviding an inclusive and fulfilling experience for every student.
As part of Frensham’s culture of boarding, all students are encouraged to participate in our Extended Day Program. This program ensures that learning, personal growth, and connection continues beyond the classroom.
Tailored to each student, the Extended Day Program complements the academic curriculum, with a broad co-curricular offering including Sport, Music, Drama, Outdoor Education, and service initiatives, helping students to develop confidence, teamwork skills, and a strong sense of purpose.
Extra-Curricular
Extra-curricular activities are integral to developing confdence, capable individuals. Students embrace challange – leading, competing and performing across activities including Sport, Music, Drama, Debating and Service.
Friday Night at Frensham
After a productive school week, Friday nights are all about fun and relaxation. Led by Year 12 students, all students participate in themed dinner parties, games nights, quizzes, and lively events such as dances, discos, and skit performances.
Closed Weekends
Closed Weekends occur at the start and end of each term, as well as during special occasions including Frensham Schools’ Birthday Weekend and Open Day Weekend. These weekends are focused on internal events that build community and provide meaningful experiences on campus.
Parent Weekends
Parent Weekends are scheduled for each year group to foster parent-school engagement and provide an opportunity for parents to connect with their daughters’ progress. During these weekends, Parent-Teacher Interviews are held on Saturday morning, followed by a special all-School Service on Sunday, which includes a concert. Additional events, such as parent dinners, are often arranged to make this a meaningful time for both parents and students.
Open Weekends
Open Weekends are designed to offer students a less structured experience on campus. These weekends generally see fewer students in the Houses, creating a relaxed atmosphere with more autonomy and time for rest. Students may be supported to prepare their own meals, and a Sunday morning sleep-in is encouraged to foster a balance of rest and social interaction.
The key goal of a residential, values based education is the development of character. We believe that a residential environment provides an ideal setting for students to learn to apply these values to how they live, learn and work.
The Jamieson Program at Frensham
View Frensham's Character Education FrameworkBuilding character beyond the School.
Frensham’s signature Jamieson program explicitly and implicitly delivers our Character Education Framework. This program helps students develop the skills and mindet neccessary to navigate beyond School.
It prepares students to lead and contribute with confidence by building resilience, independence, and adaptability.
Students are challenged through experiential learning, leadership opportunities and community service.
Outdoor education experiences, both on and off campus, encourage students to push beyond their comfort zones. Service initiatives instil a strong sense of social responsibility, with leadership development embedded throughout.
Our ultimate success is measured in the way our girls carry themselves beyond School, with a courageous and generous spirit as global citizens of today and tomorrow.
Character and Community
Character education is a foundation of Frensham’s approach as students are encouraged to reflect on who they are and who they want to become. Through Frensham Studies, a subject embedded in the History curriculum, Year 7 students explore the qualities of curiosity and adaptability, learning from historical figures and their own peers.
Philosophy and Ethics in Year 8 continues this work, with discussions designed to help students think deeply and form values-based perspectives. Across all year levels, service plays a central role in shaping students’ empathy, integrity and awareness of others.
Through activities like community volunteering, aged care visits, sustainability projects and peer mentoring, students discover how small, consistent acts of service can make a meaningful impact.
Global Perspectives
Servant Leadership
True to our motto, In Love Serve One Another, leadership at Frensham is grounded in service, collaboration, and responsibility. From the early years, students are encouraged to lead by example, support others and contribute to the life of the School.
In Year 8, students take on more formal leadership roles such as the Flag and Bell roster. By Year 9, students take on shared responsibilities like morning tea duties, developing teamwork and initiative in everyday settings.
Leadership grows in scope and purpose through the senior years. Year 10 students undertake a Learning to Lead course and represent the School as Dining Room Leaders and Open Day hosts. In Years 11 and 12, every student holds a meaningful and chosen leadership position within the Leadership Portfolio, gaining experience through service programs, sports coaching and peer support.
Frensham’s commitment to global citizenship begins in the classroom and extends into everyday life. Through inquiry-based learning, students explore current global issues, develop independent perspectives and collaborate on meaningful solutions.
These skills are deepened through real-world experiences including environmental initiatives, community visits, and service projects. These experiences connect learning with action and help students understand their role in a global society.
The Duke of Edinburgh Award
The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award is a globally recognised program that encourages young people to challenge themselves through outdoor adventure, skill development, and community service.
At Frensham, students begin the Bronze Award in Year 9 and may progress to Silver and Gold in the senior years. Each level includes activities such as camps, service projects and physical challenge.
The Jamieson Program News
Creative Arts & Design
Nurturing creativity and self-expression.
Frensham has a long-standing tradition of nurturing the arts, which are woven into the very fabric of the School.
Whether through the performing arts, such as music and drama, visual art and design, or writing, students are deeply engaged in creating and producing across a wide range of mediums.
Art is not only a means of self-expression but it is also a means of understanding and enriching life itself.
Visual Arts
The art of making is an integral part of Frensham’s culture. Students learn a range of traditional artforms across diverse media, including painting, drawing, printmaking, ceramics, textiles and woodwork.
Visual Arts is a popular HSC subject, highlighted by regular nominations and selections of students’ major works for ArtExpress, as well as offers of places in the HSC Intensive Studio Practice courses run by the National Art School.
Music
Music is at the heart of the Frensham experience, enriching the lives of every student. Students have the opportunity to learn a wide range of instruments, from orchestral to contemporary, and are supported in their musical development by a committed team of professional teachers and Music Staff.
Frensham has a strong culture of musical excellence. Students are encouraged to explore their interests and build their skills through individual lessons, classroom music, and ensemble participation.
Students take part in a variety of vocal and instrumental ensembles. Instrumental Ensembles include Kennedy Strings, String Quartet, Concert Band, Jazz Band and the Frensham Orchestra. Vocal Ensembles include the Junior Choir, Senior Choir and the Frensham Madrigals.
The Frensham Madrigals is an award-winning chamber choir that has enjoyed particular success at the prestigious Sydney Eisteddfod, including three recent wins as Champion Youth Choir.
Drama
Drama at Frensham helps our students feel connected to others in our School community. It can help them feel empathy, relate to others in the real world and encourage positive self-reflection. Working collaboratively on a creative project or activity is joyful, builds confidence, develops expression and an exhilarating thrill of presenting to an audience.
There are many dramatic opportunities on offer at Frensham and we strongly encourage each student to share their gifts and talents with the school community.
Annual Productions
Birthday Play
The Birthday Play is Frensham’s Senior production featuring Year 11 and 12 students as cast members. The play is a significant event on the School calendar as part of Frensham’s annual birthday celebrations and offers students the chance to explore and develop their creativity, critical thinking, collaboration and communication skills in producing and sharing a love of theatrical performance.
Junior Production
The Junior Production provides an opportunity for our younger students in Years 7 – 9 to work collaboratively on a performance, gaining confidence on stage to express themselves in a fun and creative way.
End of Year Production
Each year during Jamieson Week, Frensham stages a whole-school musical production, with all roles performed by students. This collaborative experience fosters creativity, confidence and connection across year groups, while celebrating talent and community spirit.
Tech Crew
Frensham students in Years 9–12 can gain a Certificate III in Live Production and Technical Services through hands-on experience using industry-standard equipment. As part of the Tech Crew, students support School events in Clubbe Hall and develop real-world skills in sound, lighting, staging and backstage production.
Drama Club
Drama Club offers younger students a fun and collaborative introduction to theatre. Led by the Heads of Drama, the program runs in Term 1 and encourages creativity, confidence and exploration across a range of performance styles.
Design and Technology
Frensham’s state-of-the-art Design and Technology studios equip students with technical expertise and problem-solving skills.
From engineering fundamentals and digital design to product development and sustainable architecture, students engage in hands-on projects using industry-standard tools. Students learn to apply CAD manufacturing techniques, explore graphic and sustainable design, and develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges.
Sport
Sport is integral to student life
Sport is an essential and celebrated part of life at Frensham. Over 90% of students represent the School in the Independent Girls’ Schools Association (IGSA) Competition each term.
Frensham’s sporting spirit shines every Saturday morning at the Games Field, with teams proudly wearing the School’s beloved purple, green, and white. Supporting fellow students is an important part of our culture and our students are renowned for their school spirit.
IGSA Home Ground
Thanks to the School’s expansive grounds and state-of-the-art sporting facilities, Frensham hosts all round matches ‘at home’, with parents playing a vital role in welcoming visiting teams and their families.
IGSA & Non-IGSA Sports
Term 1: Tennis, Touch Football, Water Polo, Cross Country, Equestrian, Gymnastics, Swimming
Term 2: Basketball, Football (Soccer), Cross Country, Gymnastics, Rugby, Snowsports, Swimming, Equestrian, Athletics
Term 3: Hockey, Netball, Rugby, Snowsports, Swimming, Equestrian, Athletics, Gymnastics
Term 4: Tennis, Touch Football, Water Polo, Cross Country, Equestrian, Gymnastics, Swimming
Equestrian
Our Equestrian team represents the School at local, state and national events. Riding is scheduled within the co-curricular program across the full year. Girls with their own horses ride at their choice of venue, at designated times. Lessons are scheduled by the School for those wanting to learn.
Snowsports
Our Snowsports team represents the School at regional disciplines including Alpine, Ski Cross, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard GS and Moguls. At a State Championship level, our Snowsports team competes in Alpine, Ski Cross, Snowboard Cross, Snowboard GS, Moguls, Slopestyle Ski and Snowboard, and XC Classic and Relay. Frensham also offers coaching at Perisher.
Frensham News
Join the Frensham community
Find out more about us with a personal tour of the School or begin the application process for your child. We look forward to welcoming you to the Frensham Schools community.