Prep – Year 6

Learning environments in the Primary School are nurturing, and supportive of individuals and their developmental needs.

Our approach is informed and driven by our Christian faith and our status as an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP). These foundations embrace a transdisciplinary inquiry-based approach to teaching and learning, in the context of a collaborative and relational learning environment. A strong focus on core literacy and numeracy plays a key role in our students’ growth and development.

Students become internationally-minded citizens as they develop the attributes of the IB Learner Profile and engage in deep learning, focused on issues and concepts of global significance. We have an emphasis on empathy, action and sustainability. These learning emphases come to life within the formal curriculum, wider school activities and events, as well as in many everyday interactions and informal learning moments.

IB Primary Years Programme (PYP)

Geelong Lutheran College is an IB World School* offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP). These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that Geelong Lutheran College believes is important for our students. 

The IB Primary Years Program offers GLC Primary students a comprehensive program that fosters curiosity, independence, critical thinking and a love of learning through its strong focus on inquiry, student agency, conceptual understanding and the development of the whole child.

We believe the PYP serves as a strong foundation for a seamless learning journey, equipping students with the mindset, skills and confidence to thrive throughout their education.

*Only schools authorised by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme, or the Career-related Programme (CP). For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org.

Primary Curriculum Overview

As a Lutheran College and an IB World School offering the Primary Years Programme (PYP), our curriculum is delivered through:

The intentional development of international-mindedness through the modelling, teaching and practicing of our three College values of Wisdom, Honour and Purpose, and the IB Learner Profile attributes of Inquirers, Thinkers, Caring, Knowledgeable, Principled, Open Minded, Risk Takers, Communicators, Balanced and Reflective.  

A program of transdisciplinary inquiry, in which students investigate concepts under the themes of:

• Who we are

• Where we are in place and time

• How we express ourselves

• How the world works

• How we organise ourselves

• Sharing the planet

Transdisciplinary units of inquiry draw on relevant content, understandings and skills from the Australian Curriculum areas of:

• English

• Mathematics

• Social Studies

• Science

• The Arts

• Technologies (Digital and Design)

• Health and PE

• Christian Studies (Lutheran Education Australia curriculum)

Specialist teachers have valuable input into the learning in these units of inquiry, adding authentic depth to the experiences.  

Structured Literacy, Numeracy and Christian Studies support the broader learning for students.  

Specialist teacher programs are in the areas of Physical Education, Languages (French at GLC St John’s Newtown and German at GLC Armstrong Creek (Auslan in 2026)), Music, Visual Arts and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths).  

You can find more information about our curriculum in the Primary years in the documents below.