Canberra College Big Picture Academy

“One student at a time in a community of learners.”

Big Picture Academy enables students to pursue their passions and personalise their learning, preparing them for successful futures.

Our students work towards the ACT Senior Secondary Certificate through the ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies accreditation, alongside the International Big Picture Learning Credential (IBPLC), warranted by the University of Melbourne.

A Different Way to Learn

In a Big Picture Learning setting, an open inquiry approach is used. The student’s curiosity and commitment to a topic of inquiry is the starting point for rich learning that is supported and scaffolded in a variety of ways by teachers and mentors inside and outside school which could include their advisory teacher, subject specialist teachers, higher education teachers, and mentors in trades, industry, academia, arts, sport and business.

The experience of Big Picture Learning is that students who are deeply immersed in an understanding of concepts and practices that they have selected and pursued, often above or outside of the standard secondary education curriculum, are highly motivated to seek the knowledge and explicit guidance that they require, and to persist and achieve. In what follows, we will consider the ways in which the Big Picture design for learning combines the best of explicit teaching and inquiry approaches to learning, in order to reflect how we learn in life and at work; through a mixture of real-world need, guidance, and intellectual curiosity. But first, an outline of the design’s key components is required.

Learning through interests & passions

The design entails students learning through their passions and interests both inside and outside school. Their learning is not organised around subjects, timetables, multiple teachers and classrooms, or exams.

Learning in advisory

An advisory consists of 17 students and one consistent teacher over time. Each student has their own workspace and a place at the common table where the group regularly comes together to learn. Each day begins with a check-in, a goal-setting session, and a group discussion or instructional workshop. Supported by Advisory Teachers, students also learn to manage their own time and projects and to evolve into independent learners. This is a supported long-term process, they are not expected to do this overnight.

Personal Learning Plans

Students develop personal Learning Plans around their interests in consultation with their teacher and family. In the early years, this occurs with a high degree of consultation between the student, their teacher and family, but as the years progress the student requires less guidance.

Leaving to learn

Students regularly learn on internships with expert mentors in the community to try out interests, develop relevant skills, and build their networks. Where desired, students also ‘leave’ to do school electives, external courses, seminars or workshops connected to their passions and interests.

Personal Interest Projects

Students work through interest exploration projects connected to their Learning Plans that they design, research and produce. These usually address several of the Learning Goals at a time.

Assessment via exhibition

Students exhibit their learning to a panel of teachers, peers, family and mentors every term. This allows them to demonstrate their strengths and the depths of their knowledge. As every student is pursuing individual interests, there are no standardised exams.

The 6 Big Picture Learning Goals

Students connect their work to 6 Learning Goals which are designed to broadly cover the key areas of learning that a young person needs to be successful in life:

Empirical Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning
Social Reasoning
Communication
Personal Qualities
Knowing How to Learn

The International Big Picture Learning Credential (IBPLC)

Students can complete all of their secondary schooling using the forms of the Big Picture Learning design and its end-of-school credential known as the IBPLC. Assessment is based on capturing and measuring a broader range of capacities and knowledge than is traditional. The IBPLC transcript includes assessment results alongside personal elements such as a Video Profile and Online Portfolio. Since 2020, graduates have been successfully transitioning to employment, training and university using this non-ATAR pathway accepted by over 40% of universities in Australia.

One student at a time in a community of learners

Learning happens everywhere – at school, at home, in the community, in workplaces and online. Be ready to embrace opportunities when they arise. You are in control of your learning, supported by your Advisory teacher, your family or carers, friends, and the mentors you connect with.

Having so much choice and freedom can feel overwhelming at first, as it comes with the responsibility of managing your own time, workload and organisation. However, the rewards are significant—especially when you discover a passion and are given the chance to pursue it in depth.

Pathways for All Students

Big Picture supports a variety of post-school pathways, including:

University
Employment
CIT (Canberra Institute of Technology)
Apprenticeships

What Makes Big Picture Unique?

Learning is centred on each student’s interests
Students connect with mentors, professionals and workplaces beyond school
Progress is measured through individual growth, not comparison with others
Each student is supported by an Advisory teacher who knows them well
A strong focus on building independence and responsibility in learning and life

Big Picture Intake and Enrolment Process

Big Picture intake will be in line with ACT Education Directorate enrolment procedures. As we are small by design our intake process is an application, shadow days and interview with the Canberra College Big Picture Academy staff.

For enrolment purposes, ACT public schools are grouped into Category A or Category B schools. Category A schools are in high demand and usually do not have places available to students who live outside their Priority Enrolment Area. Category B schools usually have some places available for students outside their area. The category of a school will change where it is necessary to make sure the school continues to have capacity to enrol all students living in the Priority Enrolment Area.

Canberra College was previously a Category B school. Canberra College has been re-categorised as a Category A school for 2026 and ongoing, reflecting current levels of enrolments and rapid population growth in the Denman Prospect and Molonglo districts.

Steps to Enrol in Big Picture:

Enrol at Canberra College - Apply for ACT Education Directorate enrolment to Canberra College. This must be completed before you can proceed to final stages of the Big Picture entry process.
Big Picture Canberra College Application - While the enrolment process is under way, take time to complete a Canberra College, Big Picture Application form. The application form below will ask for information about a range of understanding, experiences and ideas - please take time to complete this thoughtfully.
Shadow Days and Interviews - Applicants will be invited to come and try Big Picture and contacted for an interview with Big Picture Canberra College Academy Advisory Teachers. Students will be notified of application outcomes, via email, after these events.
Transition Day - Usually held in term 4, students coming to Big Picture will be invited into the college to participate in a transition day where we get to know everyone, familiarise you with and build the culture ready for the new school year.

Please note: students must be enrolled at Canberra College before their application to join Big Picture can be considered.

👉 Big Picture Application Form

For further information, please contact Canberra College on +61 2 6142 3288.

To learn more about Big Picture Education across Australia, visit Big Picture Australia.