Our chaotic crew are back, aka season 3 of Heartbreak High is available on Netflix. All episodes of the third, and final, season dropped on the 25th of March.
Watching Heartbreak High basically comes with the acceptance that you’ll understand about half of what’s going on. The cast speaks a completely different kind of English to us in the UK, flinging around words like ‘eshay,’ ‘munted,’ and ‘povvo.’ Some of these get explained, and others are just left hanging for us to nod along and accept. We see the crew engage in a ‘Cuckoo,’ and we hear them call everything “cooked.”
Are we old, or just British?
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But one word in particular had us Brits scratching our heads: ‘Schoolies.’ It pops up towards the end of season 3, when our beloved crew head off for what’s clearly meant to be a major rite of passage. Sorry, what?
The term is thrown around repeatedly, as if it’s the most normal thing in the world, and it clearly plays a huge role in the show. In fact, almost an entire episode takes place at this so-called 'Schoolies.'
So for the rest of you who were as confused as we were, here’s the lowdown: what exactly is 'Schoolies'… and what would we call it here in the UK? Let's dig into the madness.
What is ‘Schoolies’?
‘Schoolies’, also known as ‘Schoolies Week’, is a traditional week-long holiday for Australian high school graduates to celebrate the end of their Year 12 exams, usually taking place in late November or early December.
I know, you’re probably a little confused, but bear with me. The Australian school year runs with the calendar year, rather than summer-to-summer like in the UK. That’s because their summer is our winter — gotta love geography. Plus, Aussie students graduate at the end of Year 12, whereas we finish after Year 13.
So, if you haven’t worked it out yet, it’s basically their version of a grad trip. While we might jet off to a cheap Greek island after finishing our A-levels, Aussie teens typically head to coastal hotspots like the Gold Coast in Queensland, Byron Bay in New South Wales, or Airlie Beach and Lorne in Victoria. Some go further afield to international destinations like Bali or Fiji.
‘Schoolies’ is a rite of passage, and it’s usually packed with parties, beach festivities, and plenty of cheeky antics. Think of it as a concentrated week of freedom, fun, and the kind of shenanigans that would make any UK grad trip feel like a warm-up.
‘Schoolies’ in Heartbreak High season 3
In the penultimate episode of Heartbreak High, we finally get to see our chaotic teens head off to ‘Schoolies’ on the Gold Coast. The whole group are there, seemingly relaxed after solving the mystery of who turned on the ride — or so they think at the time.
The celebrations are wild, with drinking, partying, and mingling with other teens their age. Noah mentions that their rival school is there too, adding extra tension to the festivities.
We follow the group as they arrive at their rented accommodation, grab drinks, paint neon on themselves, and hit a boat party. Basically, it’s like watching 18-year-old Brits let loose in Magaluf or Ayia Napa. Who can forget the sunshine and mischief of The Inbetweeners movie?
As soon as it was confirmed that the final season would cover graduation, fans were hoping for a ‘Schoolies’ storyline. They even asked the cast about their own experiences, eager to see how the teen rite of passage would play out on screen.
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Heartbreak High season 3 is available to watch on Netflix.
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