Questions? Reach out!
High school exchange programme in Australia
Immerse yourself in the Australian culture and way of life, living with a host family and studying at a local secondary school.
The Down Under experience
you don't want
to miss
Student exchange programme to Australia
Australia is a country that inspires visions of sun, surfing, vast deserts, kind people, wonderfully diverse wildlife and awesome adventures, including education! The Great Barrier Reef could become your science lab, and a camping trip in the outback might prove to be the perfect opportunity to develop your leadership skills and team spirit.
Whether it's in your new school environment, out in the awe-inspiring open spaces, or in the vibrant atmosphere of its cities, in Australia you'll enjoy a unique sense of freedom. Become a new follower of the 'no worries' lifestyle, as you make the land of kangaroos your new home away from home.
A country of extremes
Unique, varied climate
Down Under, seasons are the opposite. Between November-March, you will enjoy warm weather and sunny days in the south and a humid, hot Australian summer as you move up north. The coldest months, June-August, are still pretty mild, allowing for year-round outdoor activities.
What’s high school like in Australia?
Freedom to be yourself
Get ready for a friendly, warm environment where community plays a big role. Teachers and students have an informal relationship and you'll be encouraged to express your own opinion and ideas in class, with the freedom to express who you really are.
Al fresco classes
Open air learning is very common, with activities and outings typically organised by schools to maximise educational opportunities whilst taking advantage of the spectacular natural surroundings. You will have plenty of opportunity for hands-on, real-life learning.
Healthy competition
Interschool sport is common in Australia, providing students with the opportunity to participate in competitions whilst developing a sense of belonging, as well as leadership and teamwork skills. Get ready for some healthy adrenaline rushes, as you and your schoolmates give it your best crack to achieve a shared goal.
A different calendar
The school year in Australia typically runs from late January to December. The year is made up of two semesters, each further divided into two terms. Between each term and the next, all schools close for approximately two weeks - a popular time to spend time with family and friends, often around a barbecue or on a camping trip!
A large country, lots of options. Which programme is right for you?
Choose authenticity – trust WEP and prepare to be amazed
On a Classic programme, you will experience the most authentic side of Australia. You may be placed anywhere in the country, depending on the location of the host family who has chosen you to share this incredible adventure with.
Volunteer host family
Public school (rarely private, with tuition fees waived)
Placement anywhere in Australia
5, 9 or 11-month programmes available
Live the dream – create a tailor-made programme
On a Flex programme to Australia, it's up to you to choose where you'll live, which sports you’d like to try and which subjects you’d like to study. In short, you create an experience that's tailored to you.
Homestay family with reimbursement
Public school, tuition fees included in the programme fee
Placement in your chosen state
2, 3, 5, 9 or 11-month programmes available
Your host family during your year abroad
Gain a second family – they can’t wait to welcome you into their lives!
Here is why:
Australian families are known for their welcoming, tolerant and inclusive attitude. You will be treated as a member of the family from the very beginning and included in outings, family celebrations and traditional festivities.
Sport and outdoor activities are likely to help you create a strong bond with your host family. But don't worry, you don't need to be an athlete! If you like spending time outside, admiring the beautiful nature and laughing at your host family's jokes and funny expressions, it will be more than enough.
Australians are friendly and always willing to lend a hand. Your host family will become a big point of reference you can rely on, especially during tough times or challenging moments. Don't hesitate to lean on them, but remember to return the favour - become someone they can trust and confide in.
Australian families tend to be flexible and informal and will make you feel right at home. They tend to have an open style of communication, so be ready to discuss rules, expectations, hopes and dreams.
Your school in Australia
Find out more about your school experience
In Australia, school education is for 13 years and is usually compulsory between the ages of 6 and 16. As education is a state responsibility, the educational journey of each student may vary slightly depending on the state and territory, but by the age of 6, all students must be in primary school, for a total of 7 or 8 years.
Secondary school starts when children are 12-13 years old and depending on the state/territory, can last for 5 or 6 years. It includes 3 to 4 years of middle school (years 7-10 or years 8-10), followed by 2 years of senior secondary school (years 11 and 12).
At the end of year 12, usually at the age of 17 or 18 students can obtain their Senior Secondary Certificate of Education (SSCE), though the specific name varies by state and territory. All SSCEs are recognized nationally and are used for university applications.
The Australian education system
The Australian system is based on the modern Anglo-Saxon educational system. Secondary school students can personalise their studies by choosing elective subjects in addition to compulsory subjects (English, mathematics, PE...).
Schools usually offer a wide range of electives: from visual arts to psychology, from cooking and hospitality to foreign languages. Specialised subjects may include mechanics, marine biology, woodworking and aerospace sciences.
Subjects in Australia
Australian high school caters to students aged approximately 12 to 18. Schools can be government (public) or non-government (including both religious and secular institutions). All high schools across Australia are regulated by the same curriculum standards framework, ensuring consistency at a national level. The structure typically looks like:
- Junior Secondary School - years 7-10: initial phase of secondary education, focused on a wide curriculum of general studies. Students have several compulsory subjects (often including English, math, science, PE, social studies,) plus they choose additional subjects based on their personal interests and depending on what their school offers.
- Senior Secondary School - years 11-12: the last two years of high school are dedicated to preparing to obtain a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education. Students create a personalised study program, choosing subjects that reflect their interests, aptitudes and goals, whether academic (e.g. university) or professional (in which case, they can follow a specific vocational training program). Some states have specific Senior Colleges, exclusively for year 11-12 students and thus separate to junior secondary schools.
High School in Australia
Extra-curricular activities are very important to Australian students and a point of differentation for schools wishing to attract larger number of students. There's sports, cultural and recreational activities, but also clubs, leisure centres and community groups that are external to the school.
School excursions and camps are also very common, and a great opportunity for exchange students to get closer to the Australian culture and make lots of new friends.
Extra-curricular activities
The Australian school calendar is opposite to ours: the academic year starts in late January and ends in December, with 4 terms separated by 2- or 3-week holiday breaks, known as 'term holidays'.
Term dates and holidays vary from state to state; depending on where you are, you may also get a day off school for a national, regonal or local holiday.
Here is a list of national holidays, when schools and businesses across the whole country close for the day:
* New Year's Day: 1st January, celebrating the new year under the sun.
* Australia Day: 26th January, the official national day of Australia - widely celebrated with picnics, BBQs and music. This day is seen by many as a controversial holiday, as it commemorates the arrival of the First Fleet in 1788 - which for many Indigenous Australians signifies the beginning of colonisation, land dispossession, and massacres.
* Good Friday: April, a religious holiday connected to Easter.
* Easter Day, Easter Monday: April, get ready for Easter egg hunts and hot cross buns!
* Anzac Day: 25th April, honouring Australian and New Zealand war veterans.
* Christmas Day: 25th December, shared with family eating food, opening Christmas crackers and often swimming in the ocean or the pool - remember it's summertime in Australia!
* Boxing Day: 26th December, to recover from the previous day's celebrations.
The school calendar
The grading system also varies from state to state, but many schools use letter grades from A to E or F, where:
- A equals 85-100%,
- B equals 70-84%,
- C is satisfactory and corresponds to a 50-69%,
- D highlights there are some deficiencies or areas to be improved (35-49%),
- E or F signals an insufficient level of comprehension or competences acquired (under 35%).
Grades in Australia
Stories from students and parents who have been there
Here are the testimonials of families who have chosen WEP for their exchange experience.
Going with WEP is best
Since 1988, a wide choice of destinations and comprehensive assistance before, during and after your overseas programme. WEP is the ideal partner for your big overseas adventure.
Like you, we also get to choose who we travel with: our schools, host families and overseas partner organisations are carefully selected.
We offer a custom-made insurance policy, specifically designed for our participants, and we have a solid network behind us.
Emergency assistance, overseas and in the UK, is available 7 days out of 7, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
Allowing all our participants to live their desired overseas experience is a mission, a challenge we're thrilled to accept.
FAQ
Your host family, local coordinator and your host organisation will provide you with support while you are overseas. WEP will remain in contact with the host organisation and your parents to coordinate and support your experience. In case of an emergency, both you and your family will be able to call an emergency phone number that is answered 24/7.
No. Even if you go on exchange to an English speaking destination, you will not be able to transfer work across to the UK school system. Students should expect to return home to the UK and start a new year of school having taken a gap year. Most applicants participate in a year program with WEP and return to school with the year below on their return. If you participate in a shorter program, your school might be willing to allow you to catch up with missed work so that you can continue in your same school year. All these decisions are made by your school so it is important that you talk with them before applying for the program.
Our partners have different rules regarding your language proficiency - some ask that you have between 1 and 2 years of experience with their language, while others (such as Brazil, Argentina, Denmark, Finland and Norway) do not require you to have learnt their language before departing on exchange.
If you want to go to a country where English is not the first language, you must be committed to learning the language and studying as much as possible before you depart - the more you know on arrival, the easier the transition will be. It wouldn’t be acceptable for you to arrive on exchange with no knowledge of the language, as you would struggle to establish yourself on the program.
Of course, there are English-speaking destinations available if you are not interested in learning another language.
No, it's the host families who choose the student they wish to invite into their home. Based on the documents you will submit as part of your WEP application, one lucky family will choose to open their home and hearts to you, which is why there is no avenue for students participating in a Classic exchange program to choose a specific location.
It may be possible to live with an overseas family that you already know (excluding relatives of the student). However, the family will have to be screened and approved, prepared and supported by our partner organisation in the same manner as any other host family. School enrolment must also be available.
Host families come in all shapes and sizes. There is no set idea of what a family will look like, so it's very important that you have an open mind. Some families have children of your age or younger; some have children who have grown up and moved away; others have not had children. Some are single parent or single person families. Some families have same-sex parents.
We ask that a host family provides a safe and caring environment for a young person to live in. Whatever your family looks like, they will welcome you as part of their family.
Most of our families are based in suburban or rural areas. It is very rare that a family is based in a large city.
In the USA, you can pay an additional fee to request a region or state of your choice. Placement in these areas is not guaranteed but you can state a preference. You only pay the fee if you are placed in the area you have requested.
Alternatively, on our Preferred programs in the USA, Canada and Australia, you can choose where exactly you will live as you can choose your school or school district.
Families in every destination are selected by a similar process:
Home interview -a staff member/representative of our partner organisation visits the family at home. They discuss what is involved in hosting and ensure they have the right motivation for hosting. They also assess the home for suitability and comfort.
References – friends/colleagues of family members are contacted and asked about the family’s ability to host and care for a young person.
Police check – all adult members of the home must complete a criminal background check.
NB: in Japan it is not possible for a criminal check to be secured due to the stringent bureaucracy preventing adults from getting a check of this nature. Most families are known by the school and the school plays a role in recruiting families.
Our partner organisations aim to notify your placement to you at least one month before departure. We hope that it will be no later than this, but, on occasion, the information does arrive later. Placement details could arrive a few days after you lodge your application or several months later. Whatever the situation, you have to be patient and be ready to contact your host family as soon as you receive the placement information sheet.
No. In most destinations your visa will not allow you to work while on the program. We also discourage students from working as it can prevent you from participating fully in other activities while on exchange. Students can volunteer if they wish.
No. Visits from family and friends are definitely not allowed during the exchange program. Your parents can plan to collect you at the end of the program from your host family home, but otherwise they cannot visit. If they do wish to collect you, they must notify WEP so that we can arrange your flight home for the correct date and arrange an extension of your insurance policy where needed. Please note that any additional fees for these changes are not included in the program fee.
Independent travel is not permissible while on exchange. However, you will be able to travel with your host family, school, host organisation and other community groups such as sporting teams or scouts. Again, the foremost aim of the program is educational, and your priority for any holiday periods must be your host family, who will be investing a lot of time, energy and money into this experience - simply in return for your frienship and positive contribution to their household.
Most of our partner organisations offer additional trips or tours that students can join to see more of their host country. The relevant information will be shared with your prior to departure or just after arrival. The cost of the trips or tours is not included in your program fee, so if you wish to join them you should budget for the extra expenses.
More questions?