From the Principal

Learning with Purpose: How Our Students Engage in the PYP and MYP 

At Good News Lutheran College, across both the Tarneit and Mambourin campuses, our students engage deeply and meaningfully in the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) and Middle Years Programme (MYP). These globally recognised frameworks are not just about academic content—they are about nurturing curious, compassionate, and capable learners prepared for a rapidly changing world. 

Through concept-based inquiry, our learners explore big ideas that matter. In the PYP, students from Prep to Year 6 engage with Units of Inquiry, with Year 6 now fully reintegrated into the PYP framework such as Who we are, How the world works, and sharing the planet. These units are designed to spark curiosity, inspire wonderings, and encourage exploration. Instead of simply learning facts, students learn how to learn, developing skills in research, thinking, communication, social interaction, and self-management—what the IB calls the Approaches to Learning. 

Year 6 students still explore all six transdisciplinary themes throughout the year, with one serving as the focus for their PYP Exhibition—a major student-led project that showcases their understanding, collaboration, and growth over the years. It is a celebration not just of what they know, but of how they apply their learning to the world around them. 

In the MYP, students continue this journey in Years 7 to 9 with interdisciplinary learning, service projects, and deep engagement with global contexts. Our MYP classrooms empower students to take ownership of their learning through inquiry, reflection, and action—preparing them not only for senior school but for life. 

Backed by international research and endorsed by the Australian Curriculum authorities, these programmes are proven to improve student engagement and academic outcomes. Most importantly, they help us grow learners who are principled, open-minded, and eager to make a difference. 

At GNLC, we believe learning is more than a curriculum—it’s a calling. And every day, in both our campuses, we see our students rise to that calling with joy, purpose, and wonder. 

Fiona McAuliffe  

College Principal