As co-ed becomes every day at our Preps, the Senior campus is working to replicate this success as we prepare to welcome our first secondary girls in 2028.

The word that comes to mind when Mrs Meg Edwards, Preps Co-education coordinator, describes how girls have settled into Newington is ‘organic’.

‘It’s the perfect word to describe what it feels like to have girls in our classrooms and playgrounds today, and how the process has evolved,’ Mrs Edwards says.

‘Internally, it has been seamless and felt so natural. Visitors frequently comment that it feels as if the girls have always been here, and it feels just as it should, so that’s been really positive.’

With the College’s first secondary girls to start in Years 7 and Year 11 in 2028, staff at the senior campus are busy implementing the lessons of the Preps, and the College’s K–12 Teaching and Learning, and Wellbeing Frameworks, which underpin the historic move to co-education.

‘There is a lot of clarity at our Preps around rules, routines and high expectations, and the way we do things at Newington,’ says Mrs Edwards.

‘We have supportive structures in place in terms of respectful relations to ensure students really know what is expected of them, and what they can expect of others. ‘Similarly, procedures in the classroom and outside are practiced daily and refined to ensure consistency when students move about campus, so students feel physically and psychologically safe in spaces that are calm and secure.’

To learn from experience, Director of Co-education, Mrs Rebecca Panagopolous, says Senior staff are enjoying frequent classroom walkthroughs and observations at our Preps to identify routines and practices instilling an environment where all students are included and belong.

‘Senior staff were recently introduced to the Respectful Relationships Education program, which is already in play at our Preps.

‘It aims to empower children and young people with the skills, attitudes and behaviours to build and maintain healthy, equal and safe relationships throughout their lives and address the drivers of gender-based violence.’

Other Prep practices that have helped girls, and other new students settle in, include cross-grade connections with older student mentors, cross campus Saturday sport including mixed sporting teams, and ongoing student and parent feedback.

And as girls’ enrolments at the Preps and Senior campus grow year on year in 2027 and 2028, Mrs Panagopolous says she is thrilled but not surprised how well our Prep girls have settled in.

‘They have been welcomed into our school by our students and our entire community and the interest of families to enrol their daughters here, is growing exponentially.’

Key to the easy introduction of girls across our Preps is years of prior planning, preparation, and preparedness.

‘Our objective has always been to ensure all Newington students – female or male – experience a strong sense of connection, safety and wellbeing which allows them to achieve excellence in academic and co-curricular,’ says Mrs Panagopoulos.

‘Central to this was the work done by Mrs Edwards and our Prep staff. Plus, Dr Michael Marakosis, Head of Academics, who developed Newington’s K–12 Teaching & Learning Framework, and Ms Jessica Wickenden, Deputy, Pastoral K–12 who rolled out the K–12 Wellbeing Framework.’

The smooth transition at our Preps also confirms Newington’s understanding – based on evidence-based research – that excellence in education is about the learner, not the gender, adds Mrs Panagopoulos.

‘Just as we acted over many years to make co-education a reality, now is the time for us to reflect on the progress at our Preps to ensure a seamless transition at our Senior campus too. This will ensure the College is expertly placed for the academic growth and success of all our students.’

Recently, the Senior campus school also welcomed its first Year 7 and Year 11 girls into a Take Flight classroom experience day at the Stanmore campus.

‘This was a wonderful day with almost 100 girls who start with us in 2028,’ says Mrs Panagopolous.

‘It gave these students the opportunity to experience firsthand the learning environment, teaching approaches and classroom expectations at Newington.

‘The sessions also enabled staff to gather valuable feedback, and for girls to meet some of the students in their year group, and others who will be starting alongside them in less than two years.’

As the College continues to refine future orientation and transition experiences, there will be other upcoming opportunities for our future senior campus girls to participate in school and community activities.

‘We were delighted to see many of our pioneer 2028 girls attend the recent musical production of Shrek, and we look forward to seeing many of them at RockFest, our premier contemporary music event in Term 3,’ says Mrs Panagopoulos.

‘We see these occasions as invaluable in deepening the personal connections with each other as well as with their future school. It is an exciting time for Newington and our community.’

Did you know?

• 52 girls started Kindergarten and Year 5 at our Wyvern House and Lindfield Prep campuses in 2026.
• Our Prep girls play in the Independent Primary School Heads of Australia (IPSHA) sporting competition. Sports on offer for Prep students include Basketball, Cricket, Touch Football, Tennis, Water Polo, Rugby, Football, AFL, Swimming, Athletics, Cross Country, Fencing, Futsal and Martial Arts.
• Girls in Years 7 and 11 will join our Senior campus in 2028 Newington Senior girls will compete in the Independent Sporting Association (ISA) competition across sports including Basketball, Netball, Cross Country, Football, Touch Football, Tennis, Swimming and Athletics.
• Newington College will become fully co-educational by 2033.

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Want to know more important facts about girls joining Newington’s Senior campus in 2028? Head to the great Q&A section of our website here.