Through challenges involving code breaking, engineering and creative problem solving, eight Year 6 students from Grimwade House have claimed first place at the 2026 Victorian da Vinci Decathlon, outperforming teams from across the State in a demanding academic competition.
The da Vinci Decathlon is designed in the spirit of an Olympic decathlon, with small teams of students competing across 10 disciplines: engineering, mathematics, code breaking, art and poetry, science, English, ideation, creative producing, cartography, and legacy.
Across three intensive sessions, students work collaboratively to solve a series of complex tasks that test critical thinking, creativity, and teamwork under pressure.
For Grimwade House Enrichment Coordinator Adrienne English, the competition reflects the breadth of skills required for success.
“Students who succeed are curious and critical thinkers,” she says.
“At Grimwade we look at developing the whole child, so the environment gives exposure to a range of disciplines and learning styles.”
She says the experience aligns closely with learning at Grimwade, which encourages students to learn from each other, and participate actively.
“Opportunities to connect learning to real life and find authentic problem-solving experiences are always encouraged.”
The students involved said the competition pushed them to think differently, often requiring them to work through unfamiliar and highly challenging problems.
“Some problems asked for things we didn’t know at all, like the Lorenz system (a set of three ordinary differential equations that is a cornerstone of chaos theory) and the energy of smoke rising into the air,” Alex (Year 6) says.
“They were very challenging, but they made us think hard about possible solutions.”
Success, the students reflected, came down to communication and adaptability as much as academic knowledge.
“Our team worked well together by moving around the table, helping each other, checking answers and giving feedback,” Martin (Year 6) says.
Ms English said the group stood out for both their intellect and their teamwork.
“They were a strong cohesive team that valued and respected what each individual could bring,” she says.
“They were encouraging of each other and open to taking risks. This group had a unique mix of both high EQ and IQ.”
Their achievement highlights not only academic excellence, but also confidence and a collaborative mindset nurtured through the Grimwade House approach to childhood learning and development.
Melbourne Grammar’s Year 8 team also enjoyed an outstanding result, placing second in their da Vinci Decathlon, ranking in the top three across the disciplines of cartography, creative producing, English, science, mathematics, and code breaking.
The Year 5 team also experienced success, ranking first place in both the mathematics and code breaking disciplines.
