Complex Competencies in 2025: a new era for Carey

As we prepare for the new year, we reflect on the significant changes ahead at Carey. In the winter edition of Torch, Principal Jonathan Walter outlined our school’s vision for the future, announcing the full adoption of the Complex Competencies framework in 2025. This follows our successful four-year research partnership with the University of Melbourne and marks the complete integration of these competencies into our curriculum, replacing the longstanding Carey Positive Learner Attributes.

The shift to Complex Competencies extends beyond a curriculum update – it represents a holistic approach to assessing students. With competency-based assessments, every student will eventually build an official learner profile that provides an in-depth view of their strengths, capabilities and competencies. These profiles will be accessible not only to students and educators, but also to tertiary institutions, allowing a well-rounded picture of each learner’s journey both during and after their time at Carey.

At the heart of this initiative are innovative, next-generation assessments capturing more than just academic performance. These assessments will evaluate students’ ability to act ethically, engage as active and responsible citizens, take agency in their learning, collaborate with peers, communicate effectively and demonstrate high-quality thinking skills. By participating in the New Metrics project, Carey is leading the charge towards what we call ATAR+ – a more nuanced understanding of our students that supports their post-school choices and pathways.

In 2024, Carey joins 23 other New Metrics partner schools in issuing the Australian Learner Competency Credential to over 1320 learners across the different schools. This marks a significant increase from 2023, when only 254 learners from nine schools received the credential. At Carey, our involvement in this growing initiative has seen trials run across Years 6, 9 and 12. In 2024, we were proud to issue University of Melbourne-endorsed learner profiles to 30 of our graduating students, showcasing their competency development in a real-world context.

Year 9 Trials and Areas of Focus

Our Year 9 students have been pivotal in scaling the trial, engaging with the following competencies across various learning areas:

• Agency in Learning assessed through English, Mathematics and Languages
• Collaboration evaluated within Science and C Change
• Communication measured through English and C Change
• Active Citizenship assessed within Humanities (History and Geography) and C Change.

The initial results have been promising, demonstrating that these competencies enrich students’ learning experiences providing broader, meaningful measures of success. As a result of our trials, 19 Year 6 students and 256 Year 9 students received Australian Learner Credentials.

What’s Next?

As we farewell the Carey Learner Attributes, students and teachers will see the Complex Competencies framework come to life across the School, with visual aids in classrooms and on Canvas, to inspire our community to embrace these competencies as a key part of the Carey experience.

This transformation signals our commitment to ensuring our students are equipped with the skills and understanding to thrive in an increasingly complex world. We are excited to embark on this journey together in 2025 and beyond.

Kate Croft
Deputy Principal – Learning