Does your high school classroom look like this?
Or are you watching a bright teenager slip into classroom disengagement, stuck behind a desk while their world gets smaller?
It doesn’t have to be that way!
At Living School Academy, Years 9 and 10 are centered around Expeditionary Learning - a radical alternative to standard classroom monotony. Built into this two-year rite of passage are six major Australian expeditions and eleven regional camps. From K'gari (Fraser Island) to the Great Bight, we take real learning out into the real world to build purpose, resilience, and deep critical thinking.
It’s adventurous, intellectually challenging, and hands-on; designed specifically to give teenagers a wider horizon and a deeper way to grow into who they are truly meant to be.
🌿 Enrolments are now open for Years 9 through 12, along with 2027 Scholarship opportunities across two distinct pathways:
🎒 Years 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning: For curious, hands-on learners ready to trade standard classroom monotony for real-world challenge, deep inquiry, and immersive outdoor discovery.
🎓 Years 11 & 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP): The natural evolution of our expeditionary mindset. As the only school in the Northern Rivers offering the IB Diploma, we provide a gold-standard, globally recognised alternative to the HSC for independent thinkers ready to stand out on top globally.
We are looking for young people who are curious, kind, and driven by purpose. This isn’t about how much you can memorise for a test, it’s about how you think, how you grow, and how you make your learning life-worthy.
✨ Take the Next Step: Visit www.living.academy/scholarships to apply or to book a conversation with our Academy Director, Jake.
📅 Scholarship Applications Close: October 16th, 2026.
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
Living School
Share
WHO ARE WE
Living School is a unique progressive independent non-government school, developed with a focus on progressive education.
Living School, Northern Rivers, NSW is a progressive new independent co-learning community where students and parents learn for life for real - authentic and experiential We are a not-for-profit created from the vision of John Stewart (founder and Conductor). Our vision is broad and purposeful: we are nurturing and teaching good people in a good community for a good future. Whereas this vision sta
Tee off for a great cause! ⛳️
Join us on Friday, 11th September for the inaugural Living School Academy Charity Golf Day at the newly renovated Lismore Workers Golf Club.
Grab a team of 4 and come enjoy a fantastic day out in the sunshine with our community, packed with incredible prizes and plenty of friendly competition; all on those fresh, brand-new greens!
Most importantly, every swing helps us raise vital funds for our 2027 Living School Academy Scholarships (Years 9–12).
Our full-tuition scholarships give curious, motivated young minds access to a high school education built around them, not the other way around:
Years 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning: 17 real-world expeditions and camps built right into the curriculum as an active, hands-on rite of passage.
Years 11 & 12 IB Diploma Programme (IBDP): A globally recognised alternative to the HSC, offering unmatched academic preparation as the only IB World School in the Northern Rivers.
Whether you're playing for the leaderboard or just out for a great day on the course with mates, we’d love to see you there.
🏆 Event Details:
📅 Date: Friday, 11th September 2026 - 8:30am shotgun start
📍 Location: Lismore Workers Golf Club
👥 Format: Teams of 4
Limited team spots available! Register your team of 4 today via the link in Bio!
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🎓 International Baccalaureate World School
19/08/2026
As staff touring from Lismore to the Nullarbor via Flinders Ranges, Woomera and Coober Pedy - we are so proud of our students: many would shy away from taking 29 Y9/10 students away for 18 days - but when you do, magic happens! Learning about our big country as a social group is such an important rite of passage. Super impressed!!
At Riba’s, we have the pleasure of hosting a lot of schools over the year and enjoy bringing Coober Pedy to life for the many students we get to talk to.
Last night we hosted Living School and what an absolute pleasure they were. Some of the most polite, well behaved and engaged school groups we’ve met.
To add to their wonderful temperament, they left us with a note upon leaving. What a beautiful gesture! Thank you guys. It was an absolute pleasure and we look forward to seeing you all again some day.
19/08/2026
Ever wanted to see our Expeditionary Learning through the eyes of our students? 📸
These extraordinary photos were taken over the past seven days by Jalaain, one of our Stage 5 Academy students out on the road on the expedition of a lifetime.
We are officially one week into our 18-day journey across the Great Australian Bight, and at Day 7, the profound effect of stepping into deep time and massive, ancient landscapes is truly taking hold. When teenagers stand on the edge of ancient Country, everyday noise and small pressures fall away, replaced by genuine wonder, presence, and deep self-inquiry.
Moved through a landscape rich with history, science, and big questions, they started in Walgett, tapping into the legacy of the 1965 Freedom Ride to reflect on student advocacy, before pushing through Ivanhoe to examine what is dug from Country. In Broken Hill, they stood in Australia’s iconic industrial heartland, looking at how geology and human labor built a nation.
Crossing into the Flinders Ranges and Wilpena Pound, they walked Adnyamathanha Country with care, discovering how ancient mountains and soft-bodied fossils rewrite the very timeline of life on Earth. In Woomera, they looked at how Cold War aerospace testing remade the desert, questioning the heavy responsibilities that come with human progress. Last night was spent underground in Coober Pedy, learning what subterranean living reveals about heat, light, and scarcity, before heading into Port Augusta today to study how desert plants and First Nations peoples store vital survival knowledge in a harsh climate.
This is how kids really learn. By stepping out into Country - asking hard questions, feeling the heat, standing on ancient rock, and critically analyzing complex real-world issues right where they happen.
If you want your child to experience a better way to learn, where education comes alive in the real world and on life-shaping expeditions, enrolments are now open for our 2027 Year 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning Program! We are also thrilled to announce that Scholarships for passionate young people for Years 9-12 are now open for application. Head to the link in our bio to discover how your child can thrive beyond the classroom.
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🎓 International Baccalaureate World School
Welcome to KID-DOM! 🏰📦✨
If you’ve been around Living School for a while, you know this incredible Year 1 tradition is run every year by the legendary Vicky, and this year’s build is easily one of our most spectacular yet!
To launch our Term 4 Keystone theme of Civilisation, our Year 1 inquirers teamed up to transform a mountain of cardboard into an entire, functioning mini-world. Not a Kingdom but a Kid-dom! Through our Keystone framework, our students run their learning each term through a single, powerful lens. This term, they chose to travel back in time to explore two iconic ancient civilisations: Ancient Egypt and Ancient China! 🏺🐉
Rather than just reading about history in a textbook, our kids are living it. Through hands-on, project-based inquiry, building Kid-dom gives our youngest learners a tangible way to understand massive, abstract concepts. As they design pharaohs' tombs, build grand dynasty courtyards, construct trade routes, and negotiate shared spaces, they are asking big questions:
How do societies start?
Why do humans build communities together?
How do the rules, art, and architecture of the past shape how we live today?
For seven-year-olds, this is much more than playing with boxes; it’s deep, active learning that builds collaboration, spatial reasoning, empathy, and serious critical thinking.
Yesterday, our amazing parent village joined in to help lay the foundations, and today, our Year 1 tour guides gave us an official VIP walk-through of their cardboard masterpiece!
A huge congratulations to Vicky and our creative Year 1 crew for bringing ancient history to life in the most joyful, memorable way possible.
Hit play to take a tour of Kid-dom 2026! 🎥
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
Know an ambitious student looking for a world-class high school pathway?
We are officially inviting applications for our 2027 Scholarships at Living School Academy, across two distinct pathways designed for young people ready to engage deeply with their education:
• Years 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning Scholarships: Living School Academy calls Year 9 and 10 the Expeditionary Years, because they are. Six major expeditions and eleven camps built into the two-year model. Hands-on, real-world learning; a modern rite of passage building real purpose and critical thinking.
• Years 11 & 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Scholarships: A world-leading alternative to the traditional HSC path. Living School is the only school in the Northern Rivers offering the IB Diploma; a gold-standard, globally recognised qualification valued by universities across Australia and internationally.
We are looking for students who are curious, kind, independent thinkers; with passions ranging across the arts, sciences, humanities, languages and leadership, who are ready for challenges with meaning. This isn’t about how much you can memorise for a test; it is about how you think, how you grow through challenges, and how you want to contribute to the world.
In this video, our IBDP Coordinator Sara explains why the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme provides senior students with an unmatched academic edge. Unlike the traditional HSC, the IB Diploma is recognized by top universities worldwide, offering an internationally accredited pathway that values deep research, critical inquiry, and global mobility. Education should be purposeful, immersive, and deeply connected to the world around us. If this resonates with you we encourage you to reach out.
To find out more about our 2027 Scholarships, visit www.living.academy/scholarships to apply or book a call with our Academy Director Jake. Scholarship applications close October 16th 2026. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity!
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
14/08/2026
Our Living School expeditions are now in their fourth year - and our students have grown into experienced travellers. We believe - we know - a step starts a journey. The rites of passage for youth are so important - and at this age we take them on journeys that become memories and foundations for Life! Why sit in a classroom being told what to know about the world when you can be a part of it - together?!
Know an exceptional young mind looking for an education they can truly connect with?
We are officially inviting applications for our 2027 Scholarships at Living School Academy, across two distinct pathways designed for young people ready to engage deeply with their education:
• Years 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning Scholarships: Living School Academy calls Year 9 and 10 the Expeditionary Years, because they are. Six major expeditions and eleven camps built into the two-year model. Hands-on, real-world learning; a modern rite of passage building real purpose and critical thinking.
• Years 11 & 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Scholarships: A world-leading alternative to the traditional HSC path. Living School is the only school in the Northern Rivers offering the IB Diploma; a gold-standard, globally recognised qualification valued by universities across Australia and internationally.
We are looking for students who are curious, kind, independent thinkers; with passions ranging across the arts, sciences, humanities, languages and leadership, who are ready for challenges with meaning. This isn’t about how much you can memorise for a test; it is about how you think, how you grow through challenges, and how you want to contribute to the world.
In this video, hear directly from our Living School Academy students about why they love learning here, the connections they build, and what it feels like to learn in an environment that trusts their potential. Education should be purposeful, immersive, and deeply connected to the world around us. If this resonates with you we encourage you to reach out.
To find out more about our 2027 Scholarships, visit www.living.academy/scholarships to apply or book a call with our Academy Director Jake. Scholarship applications close October 16th 2026. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity!
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
Know an exceptional young mind ready for a different way of learning?
We are officially inviting applications for our 2027 Scholarships at Living School Academy, across two distinct pathways designed for young people ready to engage deeply with their education:
• Years 9 & 10 Expeditionary Learning Scholarships: Living School Academy calls Year 9 and 10 the Expeditionary Years, because they are. Six major expeditions and eleven camps built into the two-year model. Hands-on, real-world learning; a modern rite of passage building real purpose and critical thinking.
• Years 11 & 12 International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) Scholarships: A world-leading alternative to the traditional HSC path. Living School is the only school in the Northern Rivers offering the IB Diploma; a gold-standard, globally recognised qualification valued by universities across Australia and internationally.
We are looking for students who are curious, kind, independent thinkers; with passions ranging across the arts, sciences, humanities, languages and leadership, who are ready for challenges with meaning. This isn’t about how much you can memorise for a test; it is about how you think, how you grow through challenges, and how you want to contribute to the world.
In this video, our Academy Director Jake shares the vision behind Living School Academy (Years 9 to 12) and how we do things differently. Education should be purposeful, immersive, and deeply connected to the world around us. If this resonates with you we encourage you to reach out.
To find out more about our 2027 Scholarships, visit www.living.academy/scholarships to apply or to book a call with our Academy Director Jake. Scholarship applications close October 16th 2026. Don't miss out on this extraordinary opportunity!
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
12/08/2026
When world-leading inquiry expert Kath Murdoch joins forces with our passionate Primary team, magic happens! ✨
We’ve always believed in life-worthy learning; education that goes way beyond textbooks to build real-world curiosity, agency, and deep critical thinking. So, having the legendary Kath Murdoch spend a few days professionally collaborating directly with our Primary educators was an absolute joy!
If you know inquiry-based learning, you know Kath. She’s authored over 15 books on the subject and works with progressive schools all over the world. Because her philosophy so deeply mirrors the work our teachers do every day, this was a brilliant opportunity for shared thinking, refining our craft, and exploring new horizons in pedagogy together.
And in true Living School style, this wasn't a standard professional development seminar. On day one, Kath joined our team out on Country for Onland Learning, co-designing learning experiences in real time with our Primary kids AND teachers!
There is nothing quite like experiencing master educators collaborating with the ocean as their classroom. A powerful testament to what happens when expert minds come together with a shared passion for how children learn best.
We love creating space for our teachers to connect with global thought leaders, sharpen their practice, and celebrate the incredible work already happening in our school.
A massive thank you to Kath Murdoch for bringing her insight, energy, and warmth to our school! We loved hosting you, Kath!
🌱 Living School Primary (K–yr 4)
🌿 Living School Middle (yr 5–8)
🌳 Living School Academy (yr 9–12)
🌏 International Baccalaureate World School
Click here to claim your Sponsored Listing.
Location
Category
Contact the school
Website
Address
67 Conway Street
Lismore, NSW
2480
Opening Hours
| Monday | 8am - 5pm |
| Tuesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Wednesday | 9am - 5pm |
| Thursday | 9am - 5pm |
| Friday | 9am - 5pm |