Director of Teaching & Learning Update

New Metrics Update

Shaping Future-Ready Learners: Our New Metrics Partnership

We are privileged to continue our partnership with the University of Melbourne as we enter a new year of engagement with the New Metrics research project. This collaboration is central to our work in developing a future-focused, contemporary education that embeds our Purpose & Concerns and affirms the intrinsic worth of each student.

By moving beyond traditional academic grading, we are exploring how to embed and assess complex competencies such as Agency in Learning, Quality Thinking, and Collaboration - capabilities that enable students to navigate a volatile and ever-changing world. Our goal is to ensure every student leaves with the confidence and agency to let their life speak.

Innovation in Action: Pilot Projects Across the School

Across all year levels, staff are redesigning learning experiences to intentionally and explicitly teach these essential competencies. Here is how students are currently engaging with this research:

Primary School: Inquiry in Year 5

The Year 5 team has been closely examining the specific elements that constitute complex competencies. They identified that the standard frameworks provided by the University of Melbourne did not fully capture the unique developmental stage of our primary learners. To explore this further, Year 5 teachers are targeting specific “Elements” that directly support student-led inquiry.

These competencies are explicitly taught within Units of Inquiry and reflected upon at the end of each learning sequence. To measure growth, students are using rubrics for self-assessment and reflection, enabling them to see their progress over time.

Middle School: Empowering Agency via ‘My Learning Profile’

In the Middle School, we are deepening our focus on Agency in Learning through the Connections program. Agency is about more than choice; it is about students having the tools to take greater ownership of their educational journey.

To support this, students will complete a ‘My Learning Profile’, a self-assessment tool that provides a snapshot of their current level of independence and initiative. These profiles will support reflection and goal setting and enhance their work on Quests and Connections projects, providing a clear roadmap for personal growth.

Senior School: New Pathways and National Recognition

The Senior School is leading several diverse projects across all learning areas, exploring ways to recognise students’ holistic achievements.

Year 10 Portfolios: Year 10 students will also develop a ‘My Learning Profile’, adding depth to their developing portfolios. This ensures that by Semester 2, they have a formal record of their Agency in Learning to share with families.

Year 12 ‘Matching for Success’: Our Year 12 students again have the opportunity to opt into this important research project. This initiative is contributing to a national model for recognising school leavers, aiming to provide supplementary or alternative credentials alongside the ATAR.

IB Australian Learner Credential: We are also working towards credentialing our Year 12 IB students with the Australian Learner Credential. This formal recognition of their competencies may be used for university applications, further training, and future employment.

Our engagement with New Metrics is driving us to rethink the nature of assessment. By focusing on the essential skills and dispositions needed to thrive, we are ensuring that our measures of success are as dynamic and ambitious as our students themselves.

Megan Eddington - Director of Teaching and Learning (K to 12)