Queensland Independent Schools Parents Network

28/09/2026

The Non-State Schools Transport Assistance Scheme (NSSTAS) provides financial assistance for families transporting students to non-state schools in Queensland.

The Scheme has two programs:
🚌 Bus Fare Assistance: assisting families who pay more than the weekly threshold in bus or ferry fares.
♿Students with Disability: supporting students with a disability who have demonstrably different transport needs from other students of the same age.

📅Applications for Semester 2 2026 open on 1 October. To learn more about the Scheme, including eligibility for both programs, visit schooltransport.com.au.

NSSTAS is a joint initiative of CEQL and Independent Schools Queensland and is funded by the Queensland Government.

25/09/2026

Most gaming conversations are harmless, but not every conversation is really about the game.
Questions about a child's age, school, location or family can be hidden among everyday gaming chat. Talk to your child about keeping personal information private and encourage them to tell a trusted adult if something doesn't feel right.

For more tips and advice visit: thinkuknow.org.au

25/09/2026

AI ADVICE FOR PARENTS | A great free webinar for families offered by Catholic School Parents Australia. 🙌

CSPA is proud to announce a free webinar session for parents with Dr Simon Breakspear...

How to Think About AI in Your Child's Education: Practical guidance for parents who want to raise thinkers.

🗓 Monday 26th October, 12pm AEDT

‼️Registration is essential to receive the webinar link and access to the recording of the session.

⭐Bookings will open through TryBooking tomorrow, 8AM AEDT.

Join education researcher and author Dr Simon Breakspear for a calm, evidence-informed session on what AI really means for how children learn and grow. At its centre are two questions every family now faces: when AI does more of the work, who's doing the thinking? And who is your child becoming? Simon's case to parents is simple: our children deserve the opportunity to build knowledge, the ability to think, and the space to work out what they think.

24/09/2026

Raising a single child now costs Australian families $17,800 a year, following a 134 per cent surge in parenting expenses over the past two decades.

Read more: https://ebx.sh/LDL6k5

21/09/2026

IMPACT | Our team is dedicated to improving family-school partnerships in schools and we are fortunate to be able to witness the impact our programs are having during our regular check-ins with schools participating in our year-long programs.

Like any strategic improvement in schools, parent engagement practices are a long-term investment.

We loved our time on Friday visiting two of the 26 schools working with us this year - Toowoomba Christian College and Fairholme College - and hearing how they are translating the strong parent engagement research into practice in their unique contexts.

✅Applications for our 2027 programs are now open.
✅Email [email protected] to enquire

19/09/2026

PARENTING IN 2026….| Does this story resonate with you?

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2026-09-19/parenthood-maths-aint-mathing/

Parents are working more than ever, but society hasn't caught up with the reality of raising a family.

04/09/2026

"What's your plan after school?"

For today's young people, there are so many different pathways beyond Year 12, from university and apprenticeships to vocational training and emerging careers.

Our latest webinar is designed to help parents understand the options, the language and the opportunities so they can have informed conversations with their children about what's next.

With expert insights from Independent Schools Queensland Queensland Tertiary Admissions Centre (QTAC) and BEYOND, it's a valuable hour for any parent of a Year 10-12 student.



📢 A big shout out to Melanie Alexandra BSc, Ryan Clinch and Samuel Hardcastle for their insights and expertise!

📢 Webinar link: https://vimeo.com/1221875965?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci

04/09/2026

PARTNERSHIPS MATTER | This week provided two valuable opportunities to highlight the role of parent engagement in strengthening school communities.

At Independent Schools Queensland's Leading Whole School Inclusion day, we joined inclusion and wellbeing leaders from across Queensland's independent school sector to discuss how schools can work in partnership with families to foster belonging, wellbeing and successful learning outcomes for every student.

We also contributed insights on family expectations, changing community needs and the importance of understanding the parent perspective in a panel session exploring Flexible Work Practices, led by ISQ's Workforce Innovation Team.

While the topics were different, both conversations reinforced a key principle of effective school leadership: outcomes improve when schools intentionally engage the voices of those they serve.

Thank you to our colleagues at ISQ for facilitating these important sector conversations, and to the many school leaders and staff who shared their experiences and insights.

20/08/2026

QISS 2026 | The innovation and strength of the independent school sector was on display at the 2026 Queensland Independent Schools Summit.

This year’s theme was reputation and trust and featured a great line up of speakers including AERO's Jenny Donovan, Adam Ferrier, Leigh Sales AM and Bernard Salt AM.

The QIS Parents Network team presented a session on the main stage yesterday on our parent engagement program, featuring three of the school leaders we have supported over the last few years in this space. A big thanks to Bronwyn Dolling from Pacific Lutheran College, Anna Dore from The Lakes College and Michelle Gouge from Riverside Christian College for sharing their school's parent engagement journeys.

We look forward to continuing the parent engagement conversation with the many school leaders, teaching staff and board directors we connected with over the last few days at the Summit.

Thank you Independent Schools Queensland for your hospitality!

🔅Interested in what we do and how we can help your school community become a place of connection and trust? We’d love to hear from you.
🔅Applications for our 2027 'Mastering Parent Engagement' programs are now open! Contact us or DM us to find out more.

19/08/2026