Head Start

- Season 1

(2001)

Pac Star Banking Corporation funds the youth oriented scheme called Head Start. The scheme allows five project winners to live rent-free in a renovated foundry, as they pursue their dream.

It's the first meeting at the Foundry as Garrett drills the new team on the rules and regulations of life at Head Start. There aren't many rules and they're pretty basic.

Loc apologises to Clare for the damage to the yabby tanks, but Patrick isn't pleased and attempts to enforce his racist views.

While at the velodrome for another series of bike trials, the boys encounter Terry who has developed a conspiracy theory as to why they were selected for the program instead of him.

Seth wants to try again with Katherine and asks Kyle for advice. Kyle reckons it's easy. Show interest in her project and make yourself indispensable to her.

Growing dissent within the group forces Garrett to suggest a little bonding exercise aboard a sailing ship, which turns out to be more turbulent than he could have ever imagined.

Kyle's secret relationship with Allot's wife reaches boiling point when Basia confronts her greatest fear.

Kyle becomes a willing participant in the relationship with John Allott's young wife Felice. She convinces Allott to give the boys a chance and then threatens to manipulate him and have Allott pull out if Kyle doesn't keep up the affair.

Basia's birthday rave offers the group a chance to relax and unwind, but when Basia finally decides to make her feelings known to Kyle, the night takes a turn for the worse.

Mounting a bike-a-thon for charity causes strain between Kyle and Basia, while Patrick arrives at a crossroad over his life in the city.

Things hot up at the Foundry when Garrett's daughter moves in. Loc realises the extent to which his site can help refugees.

Basia films Amanda without her consent and becomes faced with a moral dilemma and Seth's romantic involvement with Skye puts pressure on his friendship with Kyle.

Kyle finds himself in trouble as Skye tries to sabotage his partnership with Seth and Clare sets out to prove she can be successful without Patrick's help.

Tension mounts between Skye and Garrett, resulting in a surprising revelation. Meanwhile, Clare and the Yabbies become overnight celebrities.

Katherine hits the clubbing scene, and after playing some of her music for Basia she decides it's time to get her own music into some dance clubs.

Rod asks for exclusive rights to Clare's yabbies, and Katherine's transformed herself and found her music niche, but is unsure of her next step.

The romance between Rod and Clare is now in full swing. Loc however isn't won over by Rod and suspects his business dealings will be detrimental to Clare and the yabby business.

When Clare turns up at Rod's house unexpectedly she is faced with the truth about Rod. Devastated, she makes a choice that will affect both her and Patrick's future.

Amanda is taken to hospital as it looks as if her cancer has reached its final stages. She leads Basia to some old footage of her time in Papua New Guinea - none of which makes sense.

Amanda finally tells Basia the full story behind her solo flight from Bangkok to Darwin. The confession is recorded on film and Amanda makes Basia promise to make the truth public.

Loc's ex-girlfriend Leticia turns up at the Foundry in need of his help. Her family has fallen victim to terrorisation, receiving abusive phone calls, letters, even bricks thrown through their windows.

Bob Deacon from the bank drafts a retraction that Loc is obliged to sign if he wishes to continue on at Head Start. Loc objects to signing as he feels there's a principle at stake.

Head Start has a new recruit, fashion designer Jade Matu. She's fiercely ambitious, and not afraid to rub the gang the wrong way.

Jade's brother Kit is on parole and he's caught on camera stealing cash from the Foundry.

Garrett is furious upon discovering that Kyle and Seth have been rejected by the Bicycle Association and didn't tell him. The boys argue that they're busy working on something big.

TJ, a good friend of Patrick's comes to town. He's the gun Gunning Apprentice about to race in the Country Cup on a horse named Crackerjack.

Jade decides to sell her fashion range at the local markets. Katherine joins her, keen to get out of the recording studio for a while.

Posy moves into the Foundry much to Basia's distress. She and Basia lock horns. Kyle is left juggling a near impossible situation - to keep both his pregnant ex-girlfriend and his current girlfriend happy.

With a week before Katherine's debut single is released, Jordan is busy preparing a publicity campaign.

Kyle decides it would be best if he and Posy (Lara Cox) move out of the Foundry and into their own place.

Patrick becomes increasingly concerned about Jordan's hold over Katherine.

Katherine's riding high, fuelled by the excitement of a publicity tour, a relationship with Jordan, and a growing reliance on amphetamines.

Aaron (Charlie Claussen) gets a fantastic opportunity to landscape a high-rise balcony for wealthy clients, Malcolm (Yves Stenning) and Anna (Elizabeth Maywald).

While teeing up deliveries for his yabby export business Patrick has a run in with a street kid, Lee.

While earning extra money videoing a kid's birthday party, Basia inadvertently catches a car thief on film. She discovers the owner of the car to be the TV personality Steven Perry (David Roberts).

Katherine arrives back unexpectedly from her promotional tour. Although rundown, she convinces everyone that the tour was a success and she's merely having a few days off.

Katherine finds it harder and harder to fit back into life at Headstart. Pressure from Garrett and a perceived lack of support from Patrick coupled with a mugging, send Katherine over the edge.

Faced with the prospect of leaving Head Start, Kyle and Seth struggle to agree where best to invest their money.

Patrick's yabbie export business is thrown into jeopardy when his stock becomes the victim of vandalism. When he investigates he discovers that the vandalism is the work of an extortion ring.

Katherine's hand is injured in an attack on Patrick's property, causing him to decide to pack it all in and return to the country. Hector, Aaron's father, tries to convince Aaron to accept the landscaping job, however, Aaron refuses.