Beyond Grades: How We Measure Your Child’s Learning Journey

At Westminster, learning is about more than knowledge — it’s about nurturing the whole child. Assessment is not simply a measure of marks or grades, but a reflection of growth, understanding and capability.

This semester, your child’s progress will be supported through a combination of academic achievement and a new, student-led process: micro-credentialing.

Teachers will continue to design rich learning experiences that invite students to demonstrate what they know, understand and can do across each subject. This includes a balance of formal assessments, classroom engagement and skill development.

We also place strong value on transferable skills — such as collaboration, creativity, resilience and empathy. These are captured through our Capability Compass, which helps students identify and develop their personal strengths.

Micro-credentialing@West is a new approach that encourages your child to reflect on how they are growing as a learner and as a person. Students will self-assess their capabilities using a sliding scale — from Pathfinder to Trailblazer — and consider how they’ve applied these skills and the impact they’ve made. This process is guided by teacher feedback and supported by classroom experiences.

By reflecting on their development, your child builds ownership of their learning and the confidence to speak about their progress with clarity and purpose.

Reflection is central to growth. Students will be guided to think deeply about their learning processes, helping to shape a broader assessment of their progress and build a meaningful learning narrative.

We encourage you to regularly speak with your child about what they are learning and how they feel they are progressing. Ask them which capabilities they are focusing on and what they are learning about themselves. At reporting time, you will receive a copy of your child’s micro-credentialing summary to support these conversations at home.

At Westminster, we believe assessment should celebrate each child’s unique journey and prepare them for a future that values capability as much as knowledge.