Carey Baptist Grammar School has been recognised nationally for its role in helping transform how schools understand and value student achievement beyond traditional academic rankings, through its work in the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics for Success project.
Since 2021, Carey has partnered with the University of Melbourne’s assessment centre, Melbourne Metrics, as one of the initiative’s early adopters. The collaborative project focusses on developing innovative ways to assess what are known as complex competencies – the skills, attitudes and values that enable young people to thrive in a rapidly changing world.
As schools, universities and employers increasingly seek to understand learners as whole individuals, the New Metrics approach builds a more holistic profile of each student. This learner profile goes beyond the Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), gathering evidence of growth in Complex Competencies that sit alongside academic achievement, such as critical and creative thinking, communication, collaboration, active citizenship, acting ethically, personal development and agency in learning.
Principal of Carey, Jonathan Walter, said the school’s work aligns strongly with its educational philosophy and long-standing commitment to developing purposeful, well-rounded graduates.
‘We’re passionate about redefining what success looks like for young people,’ Mr Walter said. ‘Academic results are important, but they are only part of the story. The world is calling for adaptable, ethical and community-minded individuals who can contribute confidently across different contexts. These are the qualities our Complex Competency assessments help to identify and nurture.’
The New Metrics for Success project was launched by the University of Melbourne in partnership with a network of forward-thinking schools across Australia. Its goal is to support schools to design for, teach, assess and report against validated frameworks that capture the depth of student learning and personal growth in measurable, rigorous ways.
Prof. Sandra Milligan, Executive Director of the Melbourne Metrics centre, said Carey’s involvement as a foundational school has been instrumental in shaping the project’s national impact.
‘Carey has been a key collaborator, helping us strengthen the framework, test new models of assessment in real classrooms, and refine what works for teachers,’ Prof. Milligan said. ‘This partnership exemplifies what’s possible when schools and universities work together to innovate for the future of education.’
We are proud to announce that, along with the University of Melbourne and other partner schools, Carey has received the 2025 Australian Council for Educational Leaders (ACEL) National Leadership Award in recognition of its outstanding contribution as a valued partner in the New Metrics for Success research-practice partnership. The award celebrates the collective impact of schools and researchers working together to reimagine how student learning and achievement can be understood, measured and celebrated.
According to Mr Walter, the award recognises the value of long-term collaboration in driving meaningful educational change.
‘Our engagement with the University of Melbourne’s New Metrics project has allowed us to contribute to national thinking about assessment and progression,’ he said. ‘It’s deeply rewarding to see this work acknowledged and, more importantly, to see our students benefit as we capture and celebrate their full range of abilities.’
Through initiatives like Complex Competency assessments, Carey aims to equip students not just for tertiary pathways, but for meaningful lives of purpose and contribution in an unpredictable future.
‘Matching students to opportunities where they can flourish – rather than simply ranking them – is the next step in creating a fairer, more empowering education system,’ Mr Walter said.
For more about the New Metrics for Success project and Carey’s approach to complex competencies, visit Carey’s complex competencies overview
In our complex and ever-changing world, it’s clear that today’s young people will be faced with a unique set of challenges in […]