Frequently Asked Questions
What would you like to know?
Here you will find some of the questions most frequently asked of Brisbane Independent School by parents and guardians who are searching for the right primary school for their children.
What are BiS’ operating hours?
Our school operates from 8:45 am until 3:00 pm.
Classrooms are open and accessible to students from 8:30 am.The 2024 Calendar for Student attendance;
Term 1
- 10 Weeks
- Monday 22nd January 2024 – Wednesday 27 March 2024
Term 2
- 9 Weeks
- Monday 15 April 2024 – Thursday 20 June 2024
Term 3
- 10 weeks
- Monday 8 July 2024 – Thursday 12 September 2024
Term 4
- 10 weeks
- Monday 30 September 2024 – Thursday 5 December 2024
How big is BIS?
Due to the progressive nature of the school, enrolment numbers have grown and shrunk during its 55+ years of operations. Currently BIS is under 100 students.
How early should I enrol my child at BiS?
There is never a wrong time to wait-list! Whether you are considering transferring your child from another school to BIS or starting your child’s learning journey at BIS, it always starts with one thing: a tour of the school!
Typically for Prep entries, we try to start the enrolment process about 1 year before your child is due to commence, so it is very low stress.
What kind of teaching environment and methods are used at BiS?
We implement the Australian Curriculum through integrated term projects. At BIS, we integrate the subjects of Science, HASS, HPE, Technologies and English around themes and big ideas that allow us to ask and answer a wide range of questions. For more information see Our Curriculum.
Each classroom makes use of a variety of indoor and outdoor environments and implements a wide scope of teaching methods, dependent on the students’ needs at their particular stage. You can find more detailed information on each classroom page:
What kind of fees and levies are there at BiS?
See our Fees Schedule page for a full breakdown of our fee structure and levies.
What is the BIS COVID-19 response plan?
You can read all about our COVID-19 response plan on our Clean Air Classrooms at BIS page.
What resources will I need to provide and what resources does the school supply?
All stationary is provided by the school; you will never be sent a stationary list at BiS! We also provide computers for upper primary, library books, home readers, and all sports equipment like Ju Jitsu belts!
You will need to provide your child with:
- A school bag they can easily carry,
- A library bag,
- Lunch, morning tea and brain break,
- A water bottle,
- A spare set of clothes,
- A hat,
- Covered shoes.
That’s it. We take care of the rest.
Is there a uniform policy at BiS?
We adopt a relaxed approach to clothing, to ensure the stress of uniform fees and compliance is removed for our students and families.
Every day your child will need to come to school with:
- Clothes that are sun-safe(covered shoulders) and ready for active learning and play,
- Covered shoes,
- A sun-safe hat.
We have a variety of BiS-themed t-shirts and hats available to order at various times of the year, as well as a Seniors graduation t-shirt the Year 6 families may choose to purchase. Purchase of these is entirely optional.
We often host pyjama days or fancy dress days, and students are welcome to come to school in the clothes that make them feel comfortable, safe, and ready to learn.
Are there any extracurricular activities my child can sign up for at BiS?
Yes! There are a number of extracurricular activities children can sign up to at BiS. Please see our Extracurricular Opportunities page for information about these exciting programs.
What sports programs do you have at BiS?
Quite a lot of our sports are integrated into the day-to-day learning of the class, like going out and playing hopscotch as part of a math class.
Our first session is morning movement, where all students take part in a dance or basic cardio exercise activity, to get them ready for their day of learning.
Our curriculum also includes JuJitsu and Tai Chi classes.
Our sports day, BIS Olympics, is held once a year and has a focus on participation and encouraging everyone to move their body as part of a healthy active lifestyle. The day includes cross-country, sprints and team endeavours like multi-age tunnel ball or dress-up relays. We hold competitive races for the older children who revel in the thrill of competition.
What language programs do you offer at BIS?
All of our students participate in a Languages Other Than English (LOTE) program at BIS. Our language of choice is currently Auslan, and each classroom takes a LOTE class once a week.
Does BIS offer a before/after school program?
The School’s OSHC service BISy Kids operates from 7:30am – 8:30am and then from 3:00pm – 5:30pm. We are currently awaiting CCS accreditation.
What does a Community School look like?
In a small school we get to know each other by name and share our experiences at various opportunities. There are plenty of different ways for you to engage with the community at BIS including; staying to play and mingle after school, participating in the working bees and whole community meetings, attending the various term events or parent workshops, or by joining or inspiring a Parent Passion Project… the list goes on! We have a long history at BIS and we can’t wait to see what your family can share with our community.
How can I, as a parent/guardian, be involved with the school?
The best part about being at a community school is that there are tons of ways you can be involved in your child’s learning, depending on how much time you have to offer. Please visit Our Community Teams page for detailed information.
How will BIS communicate with me, and how can I communicate with the school?
BIS uses a variety of methods to communicate with parents and guardians.
- School and general classroom updates will be sent via the School App,
- General student and classroom photographs and videos will be sent via the SeeSaw App (not everyday, but whenever possible),
- Educators hold Parent-Teacher interviews each semester with one or both parents/guardians,
- BIS holds regular Whole Community Meetings in person at the school, to discuss the current and upcoming news, policy reminders, and address any questions.
While we do have a Current Parents Facebook Group, we will never use this as the only mode of contact, as many of our parents and community members choose not to use Facebook
We encourage you to contact the office or educators with any questions or concerns you have, and there are a variety of ways available to do so, including:
- Send an email to classroom or admin staff at any time,
- Call or text the office or classroom mobile phone during work hours,
- Book a time to talk to the teachers before/after school, or via Zoom after hours.
Please bear in mind that during school hours, our first priority is always to meet the needs of the children at the school, so we may not be able to reply to texts instantly. Some questions will also require some resource-gathering time, and we want to be prepared with everything needed prior to replying.
But we will reply as soon as possible!
There’s so much more to tell about Brisbane Independent School – we can’t wait to hear from you. Feel free to call us on 0435 265 569, Book a School Tour, or fill out the below form with your questions and we’ll get back to you.