TOK · EE · CAS
North Coast NSW
The heart of the IB Diploma
TOK. Essay. CAS.
Three core experiences that turn six subjects into a mind that travels — now available to Northern Rivers families without leaving home.
Not “extra homework”
The Core is the Diploma. Theory of Knowledge, the Extended Essay and CAS sit at the centre — they are what universities mean when they praise IB graduates.
Global, grounded here
First IB World School on the North Coast. A worldwide framework, taught on the SCU campus in Lismore — for families who want the world without the boarding school.
Parent-sized page
Start here, dig deeper later. This page explains why the Core matters. Full assessment detail lives in the IB handbook PDF.
Academy Scholarships · Full IB tuition remission · Applications close 28 August 2026
Northern Rivers · North Coast NSW
A global education, rooted in the Northern Rivers
For decades, families who wanted the IB often looked to cities or interstate. Living Academy brings that pathway home — to Z-Block, Southern Cross University, East Lismore.
The Diploma is renowned for international mindedness: students learn to hold more than one perspective, to research with stamina, and to serve community. That is not an urban privilege. It belongs here — in a region that already thinks about land, culture, creativity and care.
The Core is where that shows most clearly. TOK asks how we know. The Extended Essay builds university-ready research. CAS turns citizenship into practice — creativity, activity and service across at least eighteen months.
What matters is not the absorption of fact, but powers of mind that can meet new situations as they arise.The founding spirit of the Diploma Programme — lived locally at Living Academy
Three compulsory pillars
Theory of Knowledge. Extended Essay. CAS.
These are not “nice extras.” They add the depth that makes the final years preparation for lifelong learning — and they contribute to the Diploma points matrix alongside subjects.
Theory of Knowledge
TOK · How do we know?
Students question knowledge claims across disciplines — science, history, the arts, mathematics — and notice their own assumptions. Ambiguity is not a failure; it is the work.
For parents: This is the subject that trains judgement in a world of noise, AI and competing “truths.”
Extended Essay
EE · Independent research
A focused research question, usually in one of the student’s Diploma subjects — not limited to English. Supervised school research, formally written, externally assessed.
For parents: This is the closest Year 12 gets to a first-year university research habit — planning, evidence, voice.
Creativity, Activity, Service
CAS · Lived citizenship
Experiential learning across creative practice, physical challenge and community service — sustained for at least eighteen months, with reflection that is real, not busywork.
For parents: This is where Living Academy’s Care and Citizenship garden beds meet the IB — purpose beyond the markbook.
At a glance · not the full handbook
What families usually ask next
Enough detail to decide if the pathway fits — full criteria, timelines and forms stay in the handbook and with our IB team.
TOK assessment
- Essay — max 1,600 words on a prescribed title (external)
- Exhibition — three objects + commentary (internal, moderated)
- Skills: claims, questions, links, examples, analysis
Extended Essay
- ~4,000 words · graded A–E (external)
- Research begins Year 1 · submit Year 2
- Viva voce after submission · up to 5 hours supervisor time
- An E grade on the EE fails the full Diploma
CAS expectations
- Balance Creativity · Activity · Service
- One substantial project (1+ month) + sustained experiences
- Seven learning outcomes · portfolio · interviews
- Adult supervisor for each activity (not a relative)
CAS at Living Academy
Service and creativity with Northern Rivers purpose
We are passionate about creative thinking as civic work — giving voice, advocating change, and defining culture. CAS is where that identity meets authentic need.
Creativity — exploring ideas toward an original or interpretive product or performance.
Activity — physical exertion that builds a healthy lifestyle.
Service — collaborative engagement with community in response to a real need.
Students plan a personal CAS programme, keep a portfolio (including ManageBac), meet advisors, and share accomplishments with the Living Academy community. Universities increasingly notice this holistic evidence — especially where Service shows sustained commitment.
Do not get lost in six menus
Three pages most families need
Start with the Diploma overview. Open subjects when you are mapping choices. Use this Core page to understand what makes the IB different from “six subjects plus exams.”
Quick answers
Core FAQs for local families
Is the Core only for “academic” students?
No. The Diploma is broad and holistic. The Core suits curious, organised students who want depth — not only those chasing elite marks. CAS especially rewards initiative, creativity and community, not just exam performance.
Why does this matter if my child might stay in the Northern Rivers?
International mindedness is useful everywhere — in local enterprise, creative industries, university pathways at SCU and beyond, and in a region that already cares about place and planet. The IB also keeps doors open interstate and overseas if plans change.
Where are regulations and public policies?
In the Living Academy IB handbook and the dedicated regulations / public policy pages for enrolled families and compliance. Most parents choosing a school do not need those first — start with overview, subjects and scholarships.
How do we enrol or apply for a scholarship?
Academy Scholarships (full IB tuition remission for selected pathways) close 28 August 2026. Or begin the enrolment application and talk with the office about a campus visit.
Bring the IB home to the North Coast
Scholarships for the Diploma years
Full tuition remission for the two-year IB Diploma — Mathematics, Science or Creative Arts pathways for young people ready for TOK, research and CAS as much as for subjects.
Next step
See the IB Core lived on campus
Book a visit to Z-Block, start enrolment, or apply for a scholarship before 28 August 2026.
(02) 5632 1218 · office@living.school · IB overview · Handbook