Investigator College’s Capabilities
After extensive consultation with staff, students, and parents in 2024, we are proud to introduce seven key capabilities identified as essential for student growth and success, both within the College and beyond.
Adaptability
Adaptability is the ability to demonstrate resilience, learn and apply new skills and strategies, embrace setbacks and change, and persist through challenges in new and dynamic situations.
Communication
Communication is the ability to express ideas clearly and respectfully, adapting to different contexts and audiences. It includes listening actively to others, understanding and appreciating unique and varied perspectives and collaborating to achieve shared goals.
Critical Thinking
Critical thinking is analysing, evaluating, and refining ideas to establish well-informed opinions and make judgements, considering multiple perspectives and identifying bias.
Curiosity
Curiosity is the desire to wonder, question, and seek deeper understanding, connecting learning to the real world, each other, and the exploration of how things work and why things happen.
Principled Action
Principled action is acting ethically and responsibly, with respect, integrity and care for the rights and dignity of others as well as the environment and animals.
Problem Solving
Problem solving is identifying challenges, testing innovative strategies, and refining solutions to achieve the best outcome to a problem.
Self-Efficacy
Self-efficacy is the understanding and belief in your ability to succeed by reflecting, adapting, and approaching challenges with confidence.
At Investigator College, fostering student capabilities across the curriculum and diverse learning experiences is a vital part of their educational journey. These capabilities encompass the skills, characteristics, dispositions, and behaviours essential for academic success. More importantly, they are transferable, equipping students to adapt and thrive in an ever-evolving world.
Teaching & Learning Framework
Over the past few years, we have been refining our understanding of the learning process and the key factors that help students retain information. This work has led to the development of the Investigator College Teaching & Learning Framework, which equips teachers with evidence-based strategies proven to have the greatest impact on classroom learning.
In 2025, we will continue our collaboration with Growth Ed to further enhance the implementation of these strategies and strengthen our ability to measure their effectiveness for our students.
Standardised Testing
We have identified set time periods across the year where students participate in standardised assessments. These tests assess and report a student’s achievement in comparison to other students, often across Australia. Standardised assessments are created by professional agencies and use the same materials and administration procedures for all students. ACER PAT testing occurs twice a year for students in Y1-9 during Term 2 and Term 4. All students in Reception to Year 8 are screened for reading progress 3 times a year using DIBELS (Dynamic Indicators of Basic Early Literacy Skills). Students in Year 3, 5, 7 and 9 participate in NAPLAN (National Assessment Program -Literacy and Numeracy) during Term 1.
These tests along with school-based assessments assist teachers to meet student learning needs, monitor student progress and support our teaching practice.
Academic Policies & Procedures
Several academic policies and procedures have been updated for 2025, including the Academic Integrity Policy and Procedure and the Assessment Deadline Procedures. These updates are designed to help students cultivate strong study habits, organisational skills, and a commitment to integrity.
By emphasising the importance of deadlines, we aim to equip students with essential time management skills that will support their academic success and overall workload management. In addition, these skills align with our College capabilities and are highly transferable, preparing students for further study or the workforce beyond school.
