2015 planning

10/11/2014

In the newsletter this week we have announced our grade structure for next year. We have included the structure below and some of the rationale behind our choice.

4 x Grade F/1/2 classes

3 x Grade 3/4/5 classes

1 x Grade 6 class

The four Early Years classes will be located in our Learning Neighbourhood building. This open learning space will provided for these students and teacher to be fully immersed in the Early Years model of teaching and learning. Teachers will work towards team teaching and flexible groupings for literacy, numeracy and inquiry whilst maintaining face to face contact with their home group for sections of the day also. An additional teacher will provided literacy support and intervention for half of the week. Students will work on Investigations as an F-2 group in the collaborative space in the centre of the LN and will be encouraged to extend their thinking and curiosity as far as possible.

The 4 x 3-6 classes will be located in the main school building and collaborative teamwork across the 4 grades encouraged. As in the Early Years classrooms teachers will also work using a teaching model that focusses on differentiating their teaching so that students within their class group are catered for at their own level and extended appropriately. Students in Grade 3 and 5 will be involved in the Peer Support program once a fortnight as has happened in the past and students in Grade 6 will work within the buddies program with our Foundation students. Students within Grade 5 and 6 will be involved in the interschool sport program. The school camp program will still run as a 3/4 and 5/6 camp during the year.

Students will attend Specialist programs with their home group and work within these classes will also be differentiated according to ability and need.

We are excited about the structure and think it allows students and teachers to strengthen and build on the models of teaching and learning that we are continually developing. This structure supports social interaction between students and collegiality for teachers. We know that such structures develop and improve motivation, co-operation and attitudes to school. The diversity is an asset to support learning and allows teachers and students to construct meaningful learning in a varied learning context.

3 Comments

Kevin Beveridge

16/11/2014 02:53:24 am

It looks as though there may be some way to go before details and specific aspects of this process can be announced fully. However, I’d really like to ask for any future announcement to contain a little less education ‘jargonism’.

Any of the potential benefits this new structure may offer and the concerns (that parents of individual children might have) are lost or overlooked by this style of communication. The rationale appears sound but the mechanism still resembles a ‘sausage machine’ when the terminology is quasi-governmental. Some things are best said in plain english with factual support or references where appropriate.

It alienates readers immediately. Most parents need to know in simplistic terms; will my child benefit? Will my child grow? And how?

While we all have very high hopes for Pender’s Grove Primary in 2015 and collectively wish every child and teacher a successful and fruitful new year. It’s undeniably a fantastic community but there needs to be an implicit understanding that while we cherish our school’s continuing development, at the end of the day, the question that needs addressing is ‘what’s in it for my child?’.

A big concern (I am speaking for myself here) is the 3rd paragraph: ‘bunching together’ the age groups and capability ranges in the 3x 3/4/5 classes. There is not enough explanation here on how this works, not really. Peer Support and the Buddies Program isn’t enough of an answer to allay day-to-day learning concerns. The school camp program being mentioned here is irrelevant and a completely separate educational opportunity.

Could you please outline some of Pender’s processes more fully in how these classes are created? What will be the breakdown for ages in each class? Will it be an even spread across x3 classes? I’m aware a great deal of thought and effort is put in to this. However, I do not know how this task is actually undertaken and by whom so clarification from the Pender’s Grove team would help.

Could you outline how the needs of each x3 tiers of grades are balanced everyday - surely this must be incredibly demanding on teaching staff? Again, (having never worked in Education) I do not know so clarification from the PGP team would help.

Many thanks,

Parent of two

Douglas & Dayle

16/11/2014 10:49:27 am

Hi Kevin,

Decisions around grade structure are made by the staff by balancing sound educational practice, student needs and student numbers for the following year. The range of abilities in a classroom is always diverse and the teacher's aim will always be to focus on the individual needs of students. There's certainly more to the discussion however and we are happy to discuss this further if you would like to contact the school.

Regards,
Douglas & Dayle

Kevin Beveridge

16/11/2014 11:35:34 am

Many thanks for the swift response to my questions Douglas and Dayle. It's very much appreciated (especially on a Sunday!). I look forward to speaking with you further on this at a more convenient time.

Best wishes,
Kev Beveridge

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2015 planning

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