All Independent Schools must comply with government regulations and standards. Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ) states that most are established and operated independently of government and can develop their own educational programs, policies and procedures. Independent Schools offer parents choice in the education of their children. They enable families to select schools that best serve the child’s needs. Independent Schools also enable families to choose a school that best promotes the values they believe are important. There are many and varied types of these schools, and the variance might be based on such aspects as: –    Philosophical beliefs (religion or non-religion);  –    The local population’s unique needs or wants, such as in an indigenous community; –    Specialist curriculum offerings, such as Creative Arts and vocational education;  –    Or the school’s unique physical environment and geographic location. Caloundra City Private School (CCPS), for example, uses the beautiful Pacific Ocean coastline as a learning resource.   At Caloundra City Private School, we utilise this beautiful place to provide learning stimulus for our children. Located on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, many of our students are involved in community service in Surf Lifesaving at King’s Beach. The Caloundra Curriculum document attempts to represent how we use this beautiful location to stimulate our children’s learning with fascinating and meaningful engagement in our community’s unique and wonderful environment (CCPS, 2016).  Queensland’s Independent Schools include Primary Schools, Secondary Schools and schools providing education from Kindergarten to Year 12. They vary from single-sex and co-educational schools to Day schools, schools with Boarding facilities and schools that provide Distance Education. Because of the ability to make decisions locally In relation to school governance, Independent Schools can respond quickly and flexibly to their community’s evolving requirements. Additionally, Independent Schools in Queensland (ISQ) are also supported with: –    Technical advice on a range of governance and strategic planning matters; –    Specialist training and development opportunities for members of governing bodies and senior school staff; –    Resources including example policies, handbooks and other documentation. Nationally, Independent Schools Council of Australia (ISCA) “…conducted research into choice by parents of Independent, Catholic, and Government Schools. The result of this survey concluded, ‘what parents want from Primary, Secondary, and long-term education coincides with expectations that their child will gradually mature into a more well-rounded person (ISCA, 2017). This includes reasons such as good Teachers (53%), educational excellence (50%), good facilities (47%), and supportive and caring environment (45%).’” Caloundra City Private School’s use of learning opportunities that are additional to the classroom, is indicative of  at Independent Schools in Australia’s unique educational experiences. CCPS is a smaller Independent School that has independence in governance as a non-denominational school, this allows us: –    The ability to employ the best available Teachers without Head Office direction;  –    A context of a magnificent and unique natural environment alongside the southern Sunshine and Pacific Coast’s waterways; and  –    A new, open-minded community, many families of whom have moved from the capital city, from interstate, or internationally.  Some element of selective enrolment in the school comes from the higher socio-economic status of many families, combined with a small number of academic and cultural scholarships to encourage the congregating of students and parents with higher performance expectations. Outstanding academic results in NAPLAN and in Year 12 outcomes indicate that this magical environment profoundly nourishes the children’s learning. Dr Dirk Wellham Principal Download the – What is an Independent School PDF