Multiage
Our school is organised around six homegroups and adopts the naming
practice of Levels associated with the Essential Learning curriculum.
Six large 'learning studios' have been formed by re-configuring the
traditional classroom spaces, often incorporating former corridor
spaces. These spaces are filled with natural light, healthy chat, and
sometimes even laughter! Our Level One and Two children are
accommodated in a large studio designed for up to 80 children but
currently housing 65 eager students, together with their experienced
teachers, assistants, and, on most mornings, oodles of enthusiastic
parents.
Our Level Three and Four students are comfortably accommodated in three self-contained studios with lots of learning spaces and comfy chairs and sometimes even laughter! These homegroups regularly work with each others' teacher, and teachers share responsibility for each of these children.
Our multiage structure is mindfully and deliberately designed. We acknowledge that families work like this, as do workplaces. We know of no workplace in which all of the 25 year olds work in one office, with the 30 years olds in another office and the 60 year olds ....... We also know that in families the younger children learn from the eldest child and the eldest child is pretty-much expected to work out stuff for themselves [which probably explains eldest children :)]
We think that 'straight grades' reflect an outmoded factory-style approach to schooling. We are convinced that multiage homegroups encourage the educational program to be focussed on the individual social, emotional and intellectual needs of each child without referral to a mental-model of what being in Year 4 looks like
Our Level Three and Four students are comfortably accommodated in three self-contained studios with lots of learning spaces and comfy chairs and sometimes even laughter! These homegroups regularly work with each others' teacher, and teachers share responsibility for each of these children.
Our multiage structure is mindfully and deliberately designed. We acknowledge that families work like this, as do workplaces. We know of no workplace in which all of the 25 year olds work in one office, with the 30 years olds in another office and the 60 year olds ....... We also know that in families the younger children learn from the eldest child and the eldest child is pretty-much expected to work out stuff for themselves [which probably explains eldest children :)]
We think that 'straight grades' reflect an outmoded factory-style approach to schooling. We are convinced that multiage homegroups encourage the educational program to be focussed on the individual social, emotional and intellectual needs of each child without referral to a mental-model of what being in Year 4 looks like
