Happy John Paul College primary students walking together outdoors on a sunny day
Primary School for International Students · Prep – Year 6

A Happy Start to
A

See the Journey New to English? Speak With Our Team
A Warm Welcome

Where International Families Feel at Home

John Paul College is a warm, genuinely multicultural school in Brisbane. We are close to Australia's established Asian communities, so families settle in quickly and feel at home from the very first day. Most of our primary families live here together, with a parent beside their child — so choosing a school also means choosing a city to live in. Everything your child needs happens on one safe campus: lessons, sport and activities. And every child gets specialist help to build strong English, even from a very limited start.

A Multicultural Community

A genuinely multicultural school with more than 70 nationalities, so new families fit in quickly and feel welcome from the first day.

Life in Brisbane

Mild winters near 20–23 °C, calm green suburbs and beaches an hour away. Most primary families live here together — a true home away from home.

Why Brisbane & Queensland

Everything on One Campus

Lessons, sport and activities all happen at school — so parents know their child is safe, busy and cared for in one trusted place.

Step Inside Our Primary School

Language Experts

Most of our children start with English as their second language. In the 2026 national tests, 98% of their results were at or above the expected level for their year.

See our NAPLAN results
New to English?

Your Child Is in Good Hands

Most of our international students start with English as their second language. Specialist teachers give your child extra help, and children also learn English naturally through class, play and new friendships — often faster than parents expect.

Independently Tested

Will My Child Keep Up? Here Are the Results

NAPLAN is Australia’s national literacy and numeracy test. Every child in Year 3 and Year 5 sits the same papers, on the same days, in every school in the country. The papers are then marked outside the school, so no school can change its own result. That is what makes NAPLAN a fair way to compare us with anyone else.

50%

of our Year 5 children write above the expected level

Queensland average 13% — nearly 4× ahead

94%

of our Year 3 children write at or above the expected level

Queensland average 70% — 24 points ahead

5/5

subjects above the Queensland average, at both Year 3 and Year 5

Reading, Writing, Spelling, Grammar and Maths

+86

points of growth, across all five subjects

The same children, from Year 3 in 2023 to Year 5 in 2025

Children learning in their second language

Our International Children Are Thriving

Across all five subjects at Years 3 and 5 in 2026 — in their second language, with no child withdrawn or exempted from the test.

98%

of their results were at or above the expected level

64%

were above it — the level ACARA calls Exceeding

2026 NAPLAN results, John Paul College. Growth figures compare the same students in Year 3 (2023) and Year 5 (2025). Queensland averages published by ACARA, the independent national authority that sets and marks the test. Percentages are of results, not of students.

See Our Full Results, Explained Meet our International Team
Prep – Year 6 · IB Primary Years Programme

Your Child's Learning Journey

Prep is the first year of school in Australia, for children around five years old. Our primary school follows the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) — a globally recognised curriculum used in more than 100 countries.

Every child's time at JPC is a journey. Year by year, we help your child learn more, grow in confidence and wellbeing through our SOARING program, and build strong friendships through Friendology 101 — an international program that actually teaches children how to be a good friend. Two programs, working together, so your child feels happy, safe and ready for what comes next. Tap a year to explore.

Prep children holding hands and beaming as they walk together
Prep

“Finding My Feet”

  • Learn

    Discovering myself as a learner — settling happily into school and building early reading, writing and number skills.

  • Grow SOARING · Strong Outcomes

    Learning that “I can do it” — trying new things and feeling proud of small wins.

  • Belong Friendology 101 Junior

    How to make friends — introducing yourself, finding something in common, and starting a conversation.

New to English? Joining from Year 3 onward?

Start with Primary School Preparation

If your child has little or no English yet, our Primary School Preparation program builds English, confidence and friendships first — so they step into their year level ready to thrive.

Explore Preparation

Step Inside Our Primary School

Press play for a warm little tour of everyday life in our primary school.

Life Beyond the Classroom

So Much More Than Lessons

Sport, music, dance, clubs and friendships — every day at JPC Primary is full of happy ways to play, create and shine. There’s a happy place for every child.

Primary students on the court holding rugby, basketball and tennis gear

Sport for Every Child

Swim, run, jump and play — from Little Athletes to inter-school teams.

  • Swimming
  • Basketball
  • Athletics
  • Football
  • Netball
  • AFL
A primary string orchestra of young violinists performing together on stage

Music & Orchestras

Bands, orchestras and choirs for every young musician.

  • Concert Band
  • Symphonic Band
  • String Orchestras
  • Choirs
  • Rock Band
Primary students dancing

Dance, Cheer & Theatre

Find the spotlight — on stage and off.

  • Dance Teams
  • Cheer Teams
  • Performance Team
  • Actors Company
  • Open Theatre
Two primary students building a robotics model together at a STEM club

Clubs & Activities

Curious minds welcome — something new to try every week.

  • Chess
  • Coding
  • Art
  • Karate
  • Science Club
  • Debating
Happy, Confident Children

Wellbeing at the Heart of Everything

Happy children learn best. We help every child feel safe, understood and kind — through our SOARING wellbeing framework and the Friendology friendship program.

Our SOARING Tree

Growing Happy Hearts, the SOARING Way

Happy children learn best. SOARING is JPC’s own wellbeing program, based on Positive Psychology and the work of Professor Martin Seligman. Just as a tree grows from a small seed to a great height, we help every child grow their wellbeing with care, effort and time. SOARING stands for six parts of wellbeing your child builds every year.

The JPC SOARING Tree — a canopy of six branches (Strong Outcomes, Activity, Relationships, Interests, Noticing and Giving) growing from a trunk of character strengths
Original to JPC

SStrong Outcomes

We help your child set goals, work towards them and believe in themselves. This builds confidence and resilience — the strength to keep trying when something is hard.

AActivity

We teach children to care for their body and mind through exercise, good food and enough sleep. Healthy habits help children feel happy and ready to learn.

RRelationships

Your child learns to make friends and work well with others — through kindness, teamwork, good communication and solving problems calmly.

IInterests

We help every child find what they love. When children are fully focused on something they enjoy, they grow their strengths and feel proud of what they can do.

NNoticing Positive Emotions

Children learn to understand their feelings and to notice good moments. This grows creativity, patience and a positive way of looking at life.

GGiving

We help children care for others and their community. Giving helps a child feel that their actions matter and that their life has purpose.

SOARING is woven into everyday life and taught at every year level, from Prep to Year 6.

Friendship Skills & Anti-Bullying

Friendology — Kind, Confident, Resilient

Through URSTRONG’s Friendology, every child learns a shared language for friendships — how to tell a healthy friendship from an unhealthy one, how to work through the normal ups and downs, and how to bounce back with resilience. Small problems get sorted early, and every child knows they belong.

The Friend-o-Cycle

Every friendship has ups and downs — that’s normal! Children learn to move through a “friendship fire” and come out closer and stronger.

The Friend-o-Meter

Children learn to check how a friendship feels — and to spend the most time in healthy, green-zone friendships.

Healthy Unhealthy

Aim to spend the most time in green-zone friendships.

The Friend-o-Cycle & Friend-o-Meter are part of the URSTRONG whole-school friendship framework.

Caring for Your Family

Designed for International Students

From the first enquiry to every school day, we wrap support around your child and stay closely connected with you — whether you are settling into life in Brisbane alongside them or following their progress from home.

English Language Support
Individual Academic Help
Pastoral Care — a Teacher Who Knows Your Child
International Student Services
Regular Parent Communication
Pathway & Transition Guidance
Common Questions

What Parents Ask Us Most

Short, honest answers to the six questions international families ask before they enrol. If yours is not here, our International Team is happy to answer it.

Will my child keep up if English is their second language?

Yes. In the 2026 NAPLAN national tests, 98% of results from our international primary children were at or above the expected level for their year, and 64% were above it. No child was withdrawn or exempted. NAPLAN is set and marked by ACARA, independently of the school.

See the results in full

What English support will my child get?

Specialist teachers give extra English help inside the normal school day. Children also build English through class, play and friendships — often faster than parents expect.

Children with little or no English who are joining from Year 3 onward can start in our Primary School Preparation program, which builds English and confidence first.

Which year levels can international students join?

We welcome international students from Prep — the first year of school in Australia, for children around five years old — through to Year 6. Our primary school follows the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP), a globally recognised curriculum used in more than 100 countries.

Entry requirements · Term dates and start points

Does a parent need to live in Brisbane with my child?

Most of our primary international families live in Brisbane together, with a parent beside their child. Guardianship and visa rules depend on your child’s age, so please check them with us before you apply — it can change which year level your child can start in.

Ask our International Team · Life in Brisbane

What does primary school cost?

Tuition fees are published in full, by year level, with the other costs a family should plan for. There are no hidden charges.

See the current fee schedule

What happens after Year 6?

Your child moves into Junior Secondary (Years 7–10) on the same campus, with the same teachers, friends and support around them. We teach Prep to Year 12, so a child can complete their whole Australian schooling in one place.

Junior Secondary (Years 7–10)

30+
Years Welcoming Families From Around the World
70+
Nationalities in Our Global Community
IB PYP
Globally Recognised Primary Years Programme
Prep–12
One Campus, All the Way to University

Begin Your Child's Australian Primary Journey

A warm, safe place where curiosity, confidence and a bright future all begin. We'd love to welcome your family.

Start an Application Primary School Preparation Speak With Our International Team