OUR CURRICULUM

Empowering Students for a Global Future

Canberra Grammar School is an IB World School, authorised to offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP).

Together, these programmes form a continuum of International Baccalaureate education across the School, connecting the way students learn as they grow. The IB describes its continuum as the alignment of its programmes through a shared philosophy of international education.

At Canberra Grammar School, that philosophy shapes learning from Pre-Kindergarten. Students are encouraged to be curious, ask thoughtful questions and engage deeply with what they are learning. As their knowledge grows, so does the independence expected of them: they learn to investigate ideas, consider different perspectives and take greater responsibility for their learning.

The result is an education with continuity. The classroom experience naturally changes as students grow, while the principles underpinning their learning remain familiar.

Our IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) provides a challenging, relevant, and globally focused education. We integrate the PYP framework with the Australian Curriculum and Early Years Learning Framework, ensuring students develop essential literacy, numeracy, and digital skills while fostering critical thinking and real-world problem-solving.

What Sets CGS Apart?

• Inquiry-Based Learning – Students engage in guided inquiry, connecting knowledge across subjects and applying their learning to new situations. Instead of simply memorising facts, they develop the ability to ask big questions, reflect, communicate, and take action.
• Personalised Teaching – We cater to all abilities, providing both learning enrichment and targeted support. Through collaborative learning, differentiation, and assessment for learning, students are challenged at their level and encouraged to grow.
• Strong Foundations in Literacy & Numeracy – Dedicated learning blocks ensure explicit and scaffolded teaching, strengthening fundamental skills while embedding them in a meaningful context.
• Global Perspectives – As an IB-accredited school, CGS nurtures internationally minded, compassionate learners who are prepared to lead, innovate, and contribute to their communities.

Canberra Grammar School is an authorised IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme.

What distinguishes the IB experience at Canberra Grammar School is the opportunity for its educational philosophy to develop with the student.

A child beginning in the PYP and a Year 10 student completing the MYP will naturally encounter very different classrooms, subjects and expectations. What connects their education is an approach that values inquiry, knowledge, reflection and an understanding of perspectives beyond their own.

In Years 11 and 12, the IB continuum continues through the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), an internationally recognised qualification comprising six subject groups alongside the Extended Essay, Theory of Knowledge (TOK) and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).

Canberra Grammar School is an authorised IB World School offering the Diploma Programme.

Students may also choose to pursue the NSW Higher School Certificate (HSC), with a broad range of ATAR and non-ATAR subjects allowing them to shape their senior studies around their interests and future plans.

Canberra Grammar School is the only school in Canberra to offer students a choice between the IB Diploma Programme and the NSW Higher School Certificate, providing two distinct pathways for the final years of their education.