Changes to the Marking Scheme for 2026

As part of our commitment to delivering a high-quality, future-focused education, our school is engaging in a thoughtful review of how we assess and report student learning. You may be aware that many schools across Australia—and globally—are moving away from traditional A–F grades and percentage-based assessments. This shift is not about lowering standards; rather, it reflects a growing body of educational research that supports more meaningful, equitable, and transparent approaches to student assessment.

This evolution in assessment is supported by findings from the Review to Inform a Better and Fairer Education System (2023), which highlights the need for practices that:

Focus on growth over time, rather than one-off performance;
Provide specific, actionable feedback to support learning;
Promote equity, ensuring all students—regardless of background—have the opportunity to succeed;
Reflect the real-world skills students need for life beyond school, including critical thinking, collaboration, and adaptability.

Our school currently uses the following marking scheme:

While this system has served us well in many ways, we are exploring how we might evolve our practices to better reflect student learning, growth and achievement, in line with contemporary research and the needs of today’s learners. We are also aware that this approach takes more of a deficit model.

To support this process, we are considering a number of alternative approaches to assessment and reporting as outline below:

We invite parents to share your feedback and suggestions about which approach you feel is best for the Reservoir High School community. Your insights will play a vital role in shaping a system that is clear, fair and supportive of every student’s learning journey.

Please nominate your preferred option here https://forms.office.com/r/U8iqJ07MQV.

If you do not like any of the options please feel free to give other suggestions.

Students will have the opportunity to have their say in designated focus groups in coming weeks.

Thank you for your continued support as we strive to create a learning environment that empowers every student to thrive.

Jodie Purches

Assistant Principal

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