This year, St Peters Lutheran College proudly celebrates 20 years of offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). Since welcoming its first cohort of IB students two decades ago, St Peters has remained committed to providing Senior School students with genuine choice in how they pursue academic excellence and prepare for life beyond school.

At St Peters, we believe there is no single path to success. Our Senior School students can choose from multiple rigorous academic pathways, and approximately 15–20% will choose to complete the IB Diploma, a two-year programme for Years 11 and 12 that is recognised and respected by universities and employers internationally.

What Sets the IB Diploma Apart

The IB Diploma is built around the development of the whole student. Grounded in inquiry, international-mindedness, and a genuine commitment to action, the IBDP challenges students not just to know more, but to think more deeply about the world and their place within it.

At the heart of the programme is Theory of Knowledge (TOK), a subject unlike any other in a student's academic life. Rather than teaching a body of content, TOK invites students to examine how we know what we know. It asks big questions, such as: What shapes my perspective as a knower? and What is the difference between computational thinking, algorithmic thinking and critical thinking? These are the kinds of questions that stay with students long after graduation.

Equally central to the IB Diploma is its service and action component. Through Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS), students are required to step outside the classroom and engage meaningfully with the world around them, whether through creative pursuits, personal challenges, or contributing to their community. For many students, CAS becomes one of the most formative and memorable aspects of the programme. At St Peters, CAS might involve organising and facilitating the Mater Chicks in Pink Fun Run or supporting our primary students in their numeracy and literacy rotations. One student has applied for a Global Youth Action Fund grant to support improvements in sanitation at a children’s home in Nigeria.

Another hallmark of the programme is the Extended Essay (EE), an independent research project in which students investigate a topic of personal interest linked to an IB subject. Guided by a subject supervisor, students develop a research question, conduct research and write a 4,000-word formal academic essay. The process helps build critical thinking, research and academic writing skills in preparation for university study. Past EE questions include: What is the effect of trunk angle at the catch on peak force on the drive in elite sculling rowers aged 14–19 years old? and How does Yvonne Vera use focalisation to portray war and the effects of violence on Zimbabwean individuals in her novel The Stone Virgins?

Combined with six rigorous subject courses and the interconnected nature of all programme components, the IB Diploma shapes students who are intellectually curious, internationally aware, and genuinely prepared for the challenges of university and beyond.

Voices from Our Community

The IB has definitely taught me to think in a way that is helpful beyond the classroom, through the compulsory course of Theory of Knowledge. TOK has allowed me to view my subjects not in isolation, but as a greater body of knowledge that I can consider critically. I haven’t just learnt content but learnt to consider why I am learning what I am taught.

Ada M, current Year 12 IB student

One way St Peters has allowed me to continue growing is the ability to study under the IB program. The opportunity pushed me intellectually, strengthening my discipline and time management skills.

Ruby Sylvester, 2025 IB Graduate and IB Dux, currently studying a Bachelor of Commerce/Bachelor of Science at the University of Sydney

The International Baccalaureate greatly helped influence my life decisions, granting me the courage to travel the world and test multiple pathways. Reflecting upon my chosen profession, it is clear that without such experiences I would have struggled to take the leaps leading to where I am today.

Hugo Crosdale, 2022 IB graduate, currently studying at the Qantas Group Pilot Academy, Toowoomba

Over my 20 years of involvement with the IB at St Peters, I have consistently seen how effectively it prepares students for life beyond school. What truly sets the IB apart is its holistic approach to education, particularly through the IB Core. The Extended Essay, in particular, is an exceptional preparation for university study. Writing a 4,000-word independent research paper equips students with the academic discipline, research skills, and intellectual confidence needed to thrive at the tertiary level, all within a supportive and nurturing school environment.

Mrs Susannah Treschman, IB Core Coordinator

Looking Ahead

As St Peters marks this 20-year milestone, we celebrate not only the programme itself, but the hundreds of students who have completed it, and the curious, compassionate, globally-minded thinkers they became along the way. We look forward to the next generation of IB students who will continue to carry that tradition forward.

For more information about the IB Diploma Programme at St Peters Lutheran College, please contact Cassandra Magar, IB Diploma Programme Coordinator, at c.magar@stpeters.qld.edu.au or visit our website.

St Peters Lutheran College offers multiple Senior School academic pathways, including the IB Diploma Programme, the Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE) and VET opportunities. We encourage all families to explore the pathway that best suits their student's strengths, goals, and aspirations.