Middle Schooling
Middle Schooling – A Culture Not a Structure
It is important to understand, Middle Schooling is about schooling, not schools, as per a structure. It is a culture of appropriate teaching – learning relationships that promotes greater engagement by Beaumaris students, teachers and school community towards improving educational, social, emotional, creative and well being outcomes.
At Beaumaris, Middle schooling is a whole school culture, founded on a commitment to advance the learning capacity of all students and the achievement of outcomes that are meaningful and beneficial to the student. At the same time, we also provide opportunities, skills and understandings that encourage active and responsible citizenship.
The following principles, which are the result of wide consultation through ten Australian Middle Schooling Forums, constitute essential components of middle schooling:
Learner-Centred
Coherent curriculum is focussed on the identified needs, interests and concerns of students and with an emphasis on self-directed and co-constructed learning.
Collaboratively-Organised
Powerful pedagogy is employed by teams of teachers who know and understand their students very well and who challenge and extend them in supportive environment.
Outcome-Based
Progress and achievement are recorded continuously in relation to explicit statements of what each student is expected to know and be able to do.
Flexibly-Constructed
Arrangements are responsive to local needs and circumstances, and reflect creative uses of time, space and other resources.
Ethically-Aware
Justice, care, respect and a concern for the needs of others are reflected in every-day practice of students, teachers and administrators.
Community-Oriented
Parents, together with representatives from a diverse range of groups, institutions and organisations beyond the school are involved in productive partnerships.
Adequately-Resourced
Experienced teachers and support staff, supported by high quality facilities, technology, equipment and materials, constitute essential requirements.
Strategically-Linked
A discrete phase of schooling is implemented as a stage within a K-12 continuum and connected to the early and later years.
For Beaumaris Primary School the term ‘middle years of schooling’ refers to student cohorts in both Middle and Senior Sub Schools. However, it also implies explicit links with practices in the Junior School that establish foundations for transition. Lifelong learning and middle schooling are not the monopoly of any one sub school or school sector, but rather the responsibility of all stakeholders. Those principles and practices emergent from the national project are whole school appropriate. For Beaumaris this meant a K-7 approach and ownership that can deliver those features associated with middle schooling on the part of students, teachers and school leaders.
Downloads
- Middle Schooling Culture
- Middle Schooling Culture Planning Framework
- Whole School Thinking Skills Planner
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