About Kairos
Kairos Community College operates as a Special Assistance School, dedicated to supporting senior students in Years 10, 11, and 12. The college provides a tailored, engaging learning environment for young people who have disengaged, or are at risk of disengaging, from mainstream education, helping them successfully complete their secondary schooling. Operating under specific Australian education legislation allows Kairos Community College to offer an increased level of flexibility in program delivery, ensuring relevant pathways, a supportive atmosphere, and higher success rates both during and after school.
Central to this approach is a unique educational framework known as the Ripple Model. Grounded in a neuroscience-informed approach to learning, this model drives the strategic objectives of Kairos Community College to be Story Changers, Community Impactors, and Tribal Educators. By focusing on connection, individual growth, and community engagement, the college empowers students to re-engage with their learning and build meaningful futures.
Story Changers
Every young person who comes to Kairos Community College arrives with a unique story. Many seek out the college during challenging periods in their lives, marked by struggles that require a different approach to learning.
The ancient Greek word Kairos means recognising and seizing the opportune time to take action. At Kairos, this signifies the crucial moment to empower each student to change their story.
By providing a holistic and flexible approach to senior education, the college enables students to rewrite their narratives and achieve long-term success.
Tribal Educators
A tribe represents a true place to belong, which forms a vital foundation for the Kairos philosophy. Kairos Community College exists to provide a safe, stable, and inclusive environment where all students can engage in learning free from the barriers that would otherwise limit them.
Working together as a cohesive unit, the college upholds shared values, encourages ownership and accountability, and maintains a low student-to-staff ratio. This intentional design ensures students are never lost in the crowd; instead, they are known, understood, accepted, and fully supported to build a strong sense of community.
Community Impactors
The positive influence of Kairos Community College extends far beyond the immediate school environment. By shifting the future trajectory of young people, the college creates a powerful ripple effect that positively impacts their families and the broader community. Supporting students to re-engage with education fosters long-term growth, resilience, and positive social change across local communities.
Kairos Community College opened its first campus in Deception Bay in 2015 with just 26 students. Since then, the college has expanded to meet growing demand, opening a second campus in Caloundra in January 2020 and a third campus in Nambour. Across these locations, Kairos Community College currently supports 176 students with supportive education pathways.
The Nambour campus welcomed its inaugural Year 10 students in 2026. Designed to grow alongside its cohorts, the campus will expand to include Year 11 in 2027 and Year 12 in 2028. This planned growth ensures even more young people in the region can access flexible, engaging educational opportunities that help them thrive.
Academic success and practical outcomes remain at the heart of the Kairos model. 100 percent of graduating students achieve their Queensland Certificate of Education (QCE), with most also earning additional vocational certificate-level qualifications. Graduates transition into diverse, meaningful post-school pathways that reflect their individual strengths and demonstrate the proven success of the college’s approach.
