The world our young people are growing up in has changed.

The move from primary to secondary school brings significant academic, social and emotional change. We listened carefully to contemporary educational evidence, our students and our families and recognised an opportunity to act earlier.

Rather than simply creating new facilities, we reimagined Years 7 and 8 as a distinct stage of secondary education.

Learning spaces, curriculum, pastoral care, faith formation, transition and relationships have been intentionally brought together to create one cohesive experience where boys are known, supported and encouraged to thrive.

The early results are giving us confidence that reimagining Years 7 and 8 is making a meaningful difference.

We are seeing stronger student engagement, significant improvements in behaviour and growing confidence from prospective families. Year 7 attendance has increased, Year 8 student incidents have fallen significantly, campus tour attendance has grown and Year 7 enrolment demand has reached its highest level in the College’s 69 year history.

While these are early indicators, together they point to something important: when the environment, relationships and educational model are intentionally designed around the needs of young adolescents, the impact can extend well beyond the classroom.

The Mannix Year 7 & 8 Learning Precinct brings students together in an environment intentionally designed for the early years of secondary school.

The model supports:

Personalised learning
Greater opportunity to understand individual strengths, needs and progress.

Strong relationships
Consistent teachers, pastoral support and dedicated Year 7 and Year 8 communities help students feel known and connected.

Earlier support
Learning and wellbeing needs can be identified and responded to earlier.

Confidence in transition
A more predictable and supportive environment helps boys establish the habits, relationships and confidence they need for the years ahead.

Whole person development
Learning, wellbeing, faith, relationships and belonging are connected rather than treated as separate parts of school life.

More than classrooms, Mannix has been designed as a place where students can feel at home.

Flexible, light filled learning environments support curiosity and collaboration, while dedicated spaces provide structure, familiarity and a genuine sense of belonging.

Here, boys learn academically, socially, emotionally and spiritually. They build friendships, discover their strengths and develop confidence in who they are becoming.

At the heart of the Mannix model is a simple principle: understand what young adolescents need and build the experience around them.

By creating dedicated Year 7 and Year 8 communities, students experience greater consistency in their learning, pastoral care and relationships. Teachers and wellbeing staff are better positioned to know each boy, recognise when support is needed and respond earlier.

The early data is encouraging. Attendance has increased across both year levels, while student incidents have decreased, most significantly in Year 8.

These outcomes reinforce the value of creating an environment where students feel known, supported and connected from the very beginning of their secondary school journey.

The response from families has been one of the strongest indicators that our reimagined approach to Years 7 and 8 is resonating beyond the College.

Since opening the Mannix Year 7 & 8 Learning Precinct, we have seen significant growth in campus tour attendance and first time visitors, with dedicated Year 7 and 8 Parent Tours reaching capacity.

For prospective families, seeing the precinct in action provides an opportunity to understand that this is about much more than a new building. They can experience first hand how the environment, relationships and educational model work together to support boys through the transition to secondary school.

This growing engagement reflects increasing confidence in the direction we have taken and the experience we are creating for our youngest students.

Perhaps the clearest measure of community confidence has been the response from families choosing Salesian College Chadstone for their son’s secondary education.

The College has recorded its strongest Year 7 enrolment demand in its 69 year history, following the introduction of our reimagined approach to Years 7 and 8.

For us, this represents more than enrolment growth. It demonstrates that families are responding to an educational model designed specifically around the needs of young adolescents and the importance of giving boys the strongest possible start to secondary school.

It is a powerful endorsement of the direction we have taken and reinforces our commitment to continuing to reimagine what the secondary school experience can be.

Reimagining the first years of secondary education also challenged us to rethink how we shared our story with families.

Rather than simply promoting a new building, our campaign focused on the why behind the change. We used authentic student experiences, research informed storytelling and targeted digital communication to show families how and why we were creating a different beginning to secondary school.

A two phase campaign built curiosity before the precinct opened, before shifting to the student experience once boys moved into their new learning environment. Continual optimisation of audiences and creative helped us extend our reach and improve campaign efficiency.

With a modest investment, the campaign generated significant awareness and engagement, demonstrating the power of a clear idea, authentic storytelling and a strategy grounded in what matters to families.

The physical environment is the visible expression of a much deeper educational philosophy.

Inspired by St John Bosco’s belief that young people flourish when they are known, loved and accompanied, Mannix brings learning, pastoral care, faith, relationships and belonging together.

Stage 1 incorporates the Bartholomew Garelli Year 7 House and Michael Magone Year 8 Centre, creating dedicated environments for these formative years.

But the innovation is not the building.

IT’S HOW WE REIMAGINED THE FIRST YEARS OF SECONDARY EDUCATION.