A Question and Answer Guide for the Middle Years
For students in Years 5 ,6, 7 and 8
Who is in the Middle Years?
Students in Years 7, 8 and 9 in Northern Territory government schools are in the Middle Years.
Students in Years 10, 11 and 12 are in the Senior Years.
In Alice Springs and Tennant Creek, Year 7 students already form part of the Middle Years.
What will the changes be and when will they happen?
From 2007, Year 10 students joined the Senior Years of schooling at senior colleges or senior sub schools. Sanderson High School continued to have students in Years 8 to 12 for one year. In 2008, senior students from Sanderson will move to Casuarina Senior College.
In 2008, Year 7 students will join Years 8 and 9 in dedicated middle schools or sub schools.
The department will work with schools and distance education providers to deliver the Middle Years approach to remote students through a combination of distance education and face-to-face teacher contact.
What is so special about the Middle Years?
Some students in the Middle Years lose interest in school because they think what they are learning is boring or unimportant. If students aren’t interested, they don’t learn as much and might not finish school. This means they won’t have as many employment choices when they leave school.
This is why we are doing something different. In the Middle Years, you will have activities that are more interesting for you. You will have more say in what you learn and how you learn it.
Why will we have middle schools?
Moving from primary school to high school can be exciting and overwhelming all at once. In primary school you have one main teacher for most of the day. In high school, you usually have six or seven different teachers, all in different classrooms.
In middle school, you will generally have two or three main teachers during the day working as a team. You will also have access to specialist teachers who will teach you particular subjects.
Your main teachers will be able to make sure 'what they teach' and 'how they teach' suits you as an individual. You will be able to develop better relationships with your teachers than if you were at a traditional high school with many different teachers.
[ top ]
Why can’t we do Middle Years without changes to schools?
Having Year 7 students in middle schools with Years 8 and 9 means they can do different subjects with specialist teachers and have access to specialist facilities, like science laboratories and performing arts studios.
It also means that students in the Middle Years will be able to work together as a group in one place. Your teachers will know you better and will be able to make sure what you are learning is interesting and relevant for you.
What if I’m not ready?
During Term 4 you will get the opportunity to visit your new school. You will be shown around and meet the teachers and other staff.
Your school might have buddy systems or other programs that will help you feel comfortable in your new school. You will also have access to a school counsellor and/or a wellbeing officer.
What will we be taught?
You will learn the same things as you would usually learn at school, such as Maths and English, but how you learn them might be different.
With generally two or three team teachers during the day, there will always be someone available to give you extra time and support if you need help. Your class might be divided into larger or smaller groups for different activities. Lessons might be longer or shorter depending on what it is you are learning.
Your teachers will talk with each other to plan lessons. They will also talk to the class to see what you might like to learn about.
For example, your class might pick a topic such as ‘life cycles on the Katherine River’. Students will brainstorm with teachers what they already know about life cycles on the river and find some questions that they would like to answer. They will then work with their teachers to plan what they need to learn to answer these questions.
Over a number of weeks you could then learn lots of different things about that topic across a number of subjects, including Maths, English, SOSE and The Arts. This is called ‘integrated learning’.
Will the schools be ready? Will there be enough space for everyone?
Middle Years will be put in place in a two-stage process so that schools will have plenty of time to prepare for the changes and teachers can do any training they need.
The Government will make improvements to some schools so they are able to better meet the needs of all students and teachers. At some schools, this means making the existing facilities better. At other schools, there will be new buildings.
The improvements will be completed before the start of the 2008 school year.
[ top ]
Will I be able to choose which middle school I go to?
Most students will go to the school closest to their home. For example, if you live in Nightcliff you would go to the middle school at Nightcliff.
You can apply to enrol at another school outside your local area and that school may take you if it has room.
Can I go to the same school as my older brother/sister?
Yes, if you live in that school’s local area. If your older brother or sister goes to a school outside your local area, the school may take you if it has room.
Will my friends go to the same school?
It will depend on where your friends live and the choices that they make with their parents. If your friends live in your local area, then you might all go to the same local middle school.
Will we get a lot of homework?
Homework can help you practice what you learn at school and prepare you for the Senior Years. Your teachers will decide what homework you will do.
Can we choose our own subjects?
There are eight main learning areas and in the Middle Years, students will have opportunities to learn a range of subjects such as English, Maths, Visual Arts and Technical Studies.
Will the work in middle school be harder?
The work will be appropriate for your level. However, it will be more interesting and varied for you.
Will there be mixed classes, for example a class with Year 7 and Year 8 students in it?
Your school will decide this with your best interests as their main concern.
Will we go to different rooms for different subjects?
Again, your school will decide this. While your best interests will be their main consideration, the decision might also depend on your school’s resources. For example, you might go to a science laboratory to conduct experiments for your science class.
If you move around between classes, you will have a printed timetable that shows the day, time and classroom for each class.
Will the school hours at middle schools be the same time as other schools?
School hours will be the same, although the time you start and finish school could be a little different to your primary school.
[ top ]
Will the rules be different in middle school?
The usual expectations and rules will apply to students in middle schools.
Will I get help with my reading and spelling?
Yes. All teachers are required to teach literacy across all subjects.
Will we get to go camping?
Each school will decide whether students go on camp.
Will bullying be a problem in middle school?
In middle school there will be fewer older students than if you had gone to a traditional high school. Behaviour generally improves in middle school because students are interested in their work and have better relationships with their teachers and each other.
All students will have to obey rules about their behaviour. There will also be programs that focus on issues such as bullying and harassment that will help all students understand that kind of behaviour and deal with it effectively.
If you go to a middle sub school with a senior sub school, for example in Palmerston, your school might have different recess and lunch breaks for its middle and senior students or have separate outdoor areas.
Can I bring my own lunch, and will there be a canteen?
You can bring your own lunch, however you should ask your school whether a fridge will be available.
All schools have canteen facilities. How the canteen is operated and what type of food it will serve is a decision for the school council.
[ top ]
Will middle schools have lockers?
Although you should check with your school, many schools will have lockable lockers. A locker hire fee and a refundable key deposit may apply. You should ask your school whether lockers will be available.
Will there be special programs such as a gifted and talented unit?
Students in the Middle Years can expect to access the same range of services as in any school environment. Specialised programs and services to meet the needs of different student groups, such as students of high academic potential, will continue in the Middle Years, however they may vary slightly from school to school.
What will happen to the Year 7 teachers?
Some Year 7 teachers will stay at primary school and teach other grades. Some may choose to move to a middle school. They will join the teachers already working in those schools.
How can I learn more about middle school?
For more information, talk to your local school principal and teachers or contact the Middle Years Hotline on 1800 722 030.
[ top ]
