Inquiry
At Warburton Primary School, we are committed to providing a personalised and engaging learning environment that supports the social, emotional and academic growth of every child. We strive to inspire curiosity, creativity and a love of learning through authentic, meaningful experiences that encourage students to become confident, capable and lifelong learners.
Our inquiry approach places students at the centre of their learning. Through carefully planned units of inquiry, students explore rich concepts and real-world issues while making meaningful connections across the curriculum. Teachers use Tudio to support planning by identifying the key concepts and understandings that guide each term’s inquiry. This helps provide a coherent and engaging sequence of learning experiences that are aligned with the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0.
Across the year, students investigate a range of significant concepts, including sustainability, community, social justice, identity, citizenship, innovation and the environment. These concepts encourage students to think deeply about the world around them, develop empathy, appreciate diverse perspectives and recognise how they can contribute positively to their local and global communities. Alongside explicit teaching in Literacy, Mathematics and all other curriculum areas, students are encouraged to ask questions, think critically, solve problems and reflect on how they learn best. Students also have opportunities to contribute to aspects of their learning, fostering independence, agency and engagement.
Inquiry learning integrates a range of curriculum areas, including Science, Humanities, The Arts, Civics and Citizenship, and, in the upper primary years, Economics and Business. This connected approach enables students to apply their knowledge and skills across a variety of contexts while developing the Victorian Curriculum F–10 Version 2.0 capabilities, including:
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Critical and Creative Thinking
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Personal and Social Capability
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Ethical Capability
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Intercultural Capability
Foundation and Year 1
In the early years, students participate in structured Investigations, where learning is hands-on, purposeful and play-based. Teachers work closely with students to provide learning experiences that meet them at their individual point of need while extending their thinking and curiosity.
Our dedicated Investigations Room provides a rich learning environment where students build, create, design, problem solve, collaborate and explore. Learning experiences are open-ended and intentionally linked to explicit teaching and the term’s inquiry focus, enabling students to make meaningful connections across their learning while developing communication, creativity and social skills.
Years 2–6
As students progress through the school, they are encouraged to take increasing ownership of their learning through Multi-Genre Projects and student-choice learning tasks. These authentic projects integrate learning across multiple curriculum areas and encourage students to investigate real-world issues, develop research skills and communicate their understanding in creative and purposeful ways.
Students build confidence as independent learners while developing essential skills such as collaboration, critical and creative thinking, problem solving, resilience, risk-taking and effective communication. Throughout the year, students regularly share and celebrate their learning with classmates, families and the wider school community through presentations, exhibitions and classroom showcases.
Through our inquiry-based approach, we empower students to become curious, reflective and resilient learners who are equipped with the knowledge, skills and confidence to thrive both at school and beyond.
