Compare Australian Curriculum International Schools in Canberra, Australia

Canberra Girls Grammar School is an independent day and boarding school for girls aged 3 to 18 in Canberra. It is Canberra's first authorised IB Continuum School, offering the IB Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme alongside the Australian Curriculum. The school operates from two Deakin campuses and Grey Street junior site, with lakeside facilities at Lake Burley Griffin and a three-storey science block added in 2012. Students access facilities for science, performing arts, design and textiles, ICT, and libraries on each campus. The IBDP combines six subject groups with core Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and Creativity, Activity, Service, while Years 11–12 can follow the ACT BSSS pathway. The co-curriculum spans sport, music, drama, debating, service learning and leadership, including rowing and sailing at Yhuuramulum and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. The school marks 100-year centenary in 2026 and welcomes a diverse community with 30+ nationalities.

Canberra Grammar School is an independent Anglican day and boarding school in Canberra, Australia, educating about 2,000 students on two campuses. The Red Hill campus houses girls' boarding and refurbished boys' housing, with Wi-Fi, study spaces and modern bathrooms. The school offers an IB World School program—PYP, MYP (candidate in Years 7–9) and DP—integrated with the Australian Curriculum. Year 11–12 provides a choice between the IB Diploma Programme and the NSW Higher School Certificate, making CGS the only Canberra school to offer both options. Facilities include the Snow Concert Hall and Music Centre (1,400 seats), Tim Murray Theatre, on-site libraries, a Health Clinic, and an indoor heated pool, plus eight tennis courts and six ovals. Signature features include the co-curricular Education Programme linked to IB CAS, extensive performing arts, languages with international tours and exchanges, and a broad outdoor education and service program.

Charles Weston School, Coombs, ACT, is an IB World School delivering the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for students from Preschool to Year 6. English is the language of instruction, with Japanese offered as an additional language, reflecting a diverse, multilingual community. The PYP supports inquiry-based, transdisciplinary learning through six units each year that connect subjects around global themes and develop curious, reflective thinkers. The school emphasises reading and multilingualism in its library, which is staffed full-time and serves all ages, with weekly visits and quiet study spaces during breaks. Specialist subjects include Performing Arts and Music, Health and Physical Education, and Japanese, led by named teachers. Facilities include dedicated STEM spaces to support science, technology, engineering, and mathematics activities. Extras include on-site OSHC with a focus on sport, music, cooking, and wellbeing, plus Student Parliament and MindUp for leadership and wellbeing. The school champions perspectives and community involvement every day.

Forrest Primary School is an International Baccalaureate World School located in Forrest, ACT, Australia, welcoming children from ages 3 to 12. It offers the IB Primary Years Programme alongside the Australian Curriculum, teaching through an inquiry-based model that encourages questioning, research, and demonstration of understanding through varied forms. A Pre-6 Programme of Inquiry connects big ideas with Australian Curriculum outcomes, helping students make connections and take thoughtful action. The school provides an individualized program that supports English as an Additional Language or Dialect learners, offers extension for Gifted and Talented students, and uses Restorative Practice to support welfare and staff cohesion. Facilities include a redeveloped library that acts as a vibrant, collaborative learning space with indoor and outdoor learning areas, and an Instrumental Music Program with Year 5–6 band opportunities. Indigenous Culture Club and lunch-time clubs enrich student life, while After School Care and a canteen support active community connection.

Gold Creek School is a public IB World School on Nicholls campuses. The Junior Site (Preschool–Year 6) is at 40 Kelleway Avenue, and the Senior Site (Year 7–10) is at 130 Kelleway Avenue, serving students aged 4 to 16. The school offers IB alongside the Australian Curriculum. The Junior Site delivers PYP; the Senior Site delivers MYP. IB groups are Language and Literature, Language Acquisition, Individuals and Society, Science, Mathematics, Health and Physical Education, the Arts and Design. In Years 7–8 students study all eight groups; in Years 9–10 they may specialise. Language options include French, Indonesian, Japanese, and Korean (Year 7 only). Assessments follow MYP criteria and ACT descriptors, with inquiry-based learning and global perspectives aligned to the Australian context. Facilities include two libraries, a synthetic sports field, and a gym; the Junior Site library operates with Holy Spirit School. Extracurriculars include music bands, outdoor education, and academic competitions.

Hughes Primary School is a P–6 International Baccalaureate World School in the Canberra suburb of Hughes, serving children aged 4 to 12. The IB Primary Years Programme sits alongside the Australian Curriculum, aligned with the Early Years Learning Framework. Learning is organized around concept-driven Units of Inquiry that connect ideas, promote deep thinking, collaboration and action. The IB Learner Profile and international-mindedness underpin daily learning, with explicit teaching of English and Mathematics and a focus on essential knowledge and skills. A distinctive feature is the on-site Southside Primary Introductory English Centre (SPIEC), providing intensive English language support for new arrivals, complemented by a Learning Support Unit for autism and ILPs for inclusive practice. Specialist programs include Japanese (LOTE), Physical Education, Library and Performing Arts, with Performing Arts offered from Kindergarten to Year 6. The school has a central library, on-site canteen and after-hours care, contributing to a connected school community.

Merici College is a Catholic, girls‑only secondary school in Canberra, ACT, Australia. It is an IB World School offering the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Years 7–10 and the IB Diploma Programme (DP) for Years 11–12, with the option of the ACT BSSS Pathway for senior study. In Years 7–10, learning follows the Australian Curriculum within the IB MYP framework; in Years 11–12 students may pursue the Diploma Programme or the ACT senior pathway. Established in 1959 as Canberra Catholic Girls' High School, it was renamed Merici College in 1983 in honour of St Angela Merici. The campus features a Masterplan with new modular classrooms and upgrades; facilities include an Auditorium, Gymnasium, O'Donnell Youth Centre, classrooms, external multi‑purpose courts, and an oval. A broad co‑curricular program encompasses music, drama, visual arts, sport, leadership, service, and sustainability, reinforcing the IB framework and community engagement. Indigenous learning is supported through Narragunnawali.

Narrabundah College is a senior secondary college in Canberra offering three pathways for students aged 16–18: the Australian Senior Secondary Certificate with ATAR, the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) for Years 11–12, and a French Baccalaureat pathway delivered in a French-language stream. The college educates about 1,000 Year 11–12 students and provides a curriculum anchored in the Australian framework while offering IB and French-language routes to broaden university options. The IB Diploma is a two-year program with six subjects (three Higher Level and three Standard Level) plus core components—Extended Essay, CAS, and Theory of Knowledge. In Year 12, ATAR and IB assessment tasks are integrated within timetabled courses. The French Baccalaureat pathway is taught in French as part of the French-stream pathway. A new Design, Arts, Technology and Science building (DATS), valued at about $31.9 million, is under construction with completion planned for 2027 and a subsequent move-in for staff and students. Seven languages are taught, and the school hosts students from more than 60 countries.

North Ainslie Primary School is a public P-6 school in Ainslie, ACT, offering the Australian Curriculum alongside the Primary Years Programme as an International Baccalaureate World School. The campus includes an on site preschool and an Introductory English Centre to support English learners. Curriculum is delivered through transdisciplinary, inquiry based units aligned with Version 9 of the Australian Curriculum, with eight learning areas including English, Mathematics, Languages (French), Humanities and Social Sciences, Science, Arts, Technology, and Health and Physical Education. A French language program starts in preschool and continues through primary years, while the North Ainslie IEC provides EAL staffing to include learners in all activities. Facilities feature a stocked library, specialist arts teachers, gardens connected to the Healthy Eating Hub and PaCH programs, and outdoor learning spaces. Traditions include woodwind ensembles, community performances, and school carnivals linked to a wide international community founded on collaboration and inquiry across cultures.

Radford College is an independent Anglican, co-educational day school located on a 46-acre campus in Bruce, Canberra. Serving Pre-Kindergarten to Year 12, it offers a K–12 program with two senior study pathways: ACT BSSS Tertiary and Accredited Packages and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). In Years 7–10, core subjects include English, mathematics, science, history and geography, health and physical education, religious and values education, and languages (Chinese, French, Japanese and Spanish), with a broad elective program feeding into senior study. The IBDP includes six subject groups, and Year 11–12 students undertake Higher Level and Standard Level subjects with a maximum score of 45. The college houses facilities such as Morison Centre and TB Millar Hall, and sports facilities including Mackinnon Oval and a sports precinct. The Radford community emphasizes service learning, leadership through Duke of Edinburgh and Round Square, and music and performing arts programs supported by ensembles and choirs.

Red Hill Primary School is a coeducational primary school for children aged 3–12, on Astrolabe Street, Red Hill, ACT. It offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) alongside the Curriculum, delivered through Programme of Inquiry. English learning sits within the PYP framework, with a focus on language and literacy. The curriculum integrates language, mathematics, science, social studies, technology, the arts, and personal, social and physical education, through six units of inquiry: Sharing the planet; Who we are; Where we are in place and time; How we organize ourselves; How the world works; How we express ourselves. Arts are integral and include dance, drama, music and visual art. The school provides French and Mandarin, as well as library and education programs, plus ICT facilities. Facilities include a library hall that doubles as a sports centre, refurbished classrooms, upgraded playgrounds and sick bay. Before/after school care and holiday program support families.

Telopea Park School, Lycée Franco-Australien de Canberra, is a binational school for ages 5 to 16 offering a bilingual English–French program with Australian Curriculum, IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the French Curriculum. Opened in 1923, it is Canberra's oldest operating school and a member of the AEFE network under a bi-national agreement. In Kindergarten to Year 2 the program runs 80:20 French to English (four days French, one English), shifting to 50:50 from Year 3. Secondary students follow IB MYP; Brevet is taken in Year 9 and Baccalauréat in Year 12 through Narrabundah College link. The school provides Chromebooks for Years 7–11 and hosts a Gifted & Talented program (GILP). Extras include music activities with a choir and events such as the Primary Disco and Fête de la Musique. The Parents' Association, School Board and Alumni network support community life; Positive Behaviours for Learning supports wellbeing across year groups.