At QACI, students don’t just study the International Baccalaureate—they live it. We visit the impressive campus to explore how it fosters diversity, autonomy and a lifelong love of learning through the rigorous IB Programme.
Just 2km from inner-city Brisbane, Queensland Academies Creative Industries (QACI) is anything but your average school. A seven-storey, purpose-designed campus buzzing with energy and intellectual curiosity, QACI has been developing global and intercultural perspectives and fostering a love of lifelong learning since opening in 2007. As a selective entry independent senior state high school, QACI attracts a diverse cohort of Years 10–12 students who don’t just want to study—they want to thrive. Here, learning extends beyond the classroom, encouraging students to explore, innovate and express themselves in a community that values creativity, respect and collaboration.
Students at QACI’s IB Programme in the Academy band. Credit: Supplied
The Curriculum: A Global Lens on Education
At the heart of QACI’s academic offering is the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)—a rigorous, globally recognised qualification that does more than prepare students for university. It shapes thinkers, leaders, and compassionate global citizens.
The IB Diploma is holistic by design. Rather than focusing solely on academic outcomes, the programme nurtures students intellectually, emotionally, socially and physically. Through six subject groups and a distinctive core curriculum, students are exposed to a breadth and depth of knowledge rarely found in traditional schooling models.
Central to the core are three transformative components: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), which invites students to question the nature of knowledge itself; the Extended Essay, a self-directed deep-dive into an area of personal interest; and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), where real-world engagement—from artistic pursuits to community service—helps students grow beyond the classroom.
But it’s not just the structure of the DP that sets it apart—it’s the intention. Every aspect is aligned with the IB Learner Profile, a set of ten attributes that encourages students to become principled, open-minded, caring and courageous individuals. These aren’t just words on a poster at QACI—they’re lived values. Students are not just taught to think but to reflect, to act with integrity, and to appreciate the interconnectedness of our world. It’s an education that aims not just to inform, but to transform.
Students in the science lab at QACI’s IB Programme. Credit: Supplied
The Culture: A Flock of Respect, Freedom and Support
While QACI’s curriculum shapes young minds, its culture shapes young hearts. And if one word surfaces repeatedly when students talk about life at QACI, it’s respect.
“Respect for yourself, respect for your peers. It’s supporting others and accepting others,” one student explains. Another puts it: “QACI culture is about making everybody feel welcome and as though they are accepted.” This is a school where being different is not just tolerated—it’s celebrated.
The school’s ethos is captured in a guiding philosophy known as The Sense of the Goose. Like geese flying in V formation, QACI students understand the importance of lifting one another up. “The lead goose supports its followers. And when the lead goose gets tired, it drops back. It’s not about being in it for yourself—it’s about the bigger picture.” This analogy perfectly encapsulates the school’s collaborative spirit. At QACI, leadership is shared, support is mutual, and success is collective.
This trust and respect manifest in tangible ways. There are no locks on lockers. Valuables are treated with care. There’s no graffiti. Instead, there’s a swipe-card access system that speaks to both the trust placed in students and the sense of responsibility they uphold in return. “We are expected to step up to be all we can be—and so we do.”
QACI students in the production studio as part of the IB Programme. Credit: Supplied
What truly makes QACI’s culture unique is the concept of earned autonomy. Students are given freedom, but it’s based on a foundation of accountability and integrity. “Being yourself at QACI is truly what makes it cool,” says a student, and that authenticity breeds confidence and creativity.
The sense of community extends far beyond the walls of the classroom. With borrowing privileges at the Queensland University of Technology library, access to the local gym and nearby green spaces, and immersion in the vibrant Kelvin Grove precinct, QACI students enjoy a campus experience more like a university than a traditional school. Yet, despite these privileges, there’s a prevailing attitude of gratitude. “We recognise the privilege we have to go to QACI,” one student reflects. “And we take advantage of the amazing opportunities we’re presented with.”
Perhaps the best way to describe QACI is to borrow the words of its students: “It is more like an energy.” An energy of support, inclusion, creativity and growth. A place where learning isn’t confined to books, and achievement isn’t defined by test scores. It’s a community that fosters thinkers, dreamers, doers, and most importantly, humans who care.
In a world where education is often reduced to numbers and rankings, QACI dares to be different. It’s a school that prepares students not only for university but also for life.
Spanning Brisbane, Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast and beyond, Kids on the Coast is an online guide and printed free magazine for parents. With kids events and activities, attractions & things to do with kids, schools and education, school holiday guides, health & wellbeing for families, parenting and lifestyle news. Located on Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast & Brisbane, QLD.
