A LIMESTONE Coast educator has applauded the State Government’s move to transition Year 7 from primary school into high school, saying it will provide students with a better learning experience.
The move is currently being trialled at three public schools and will expand in 2022 to include every Year 7 student in South Australia, which is currently the only state where Year 7 is delivered in a primary school setting.
The policy and aims to provide new opportunities for students while enabling secondary education facilities to have fully developed middle school programs.
Melaleuca Park Primary School deputy principal Matt Crowden – who comes from a high school teaching background – labelled the government’s move as brilliant given the national curriculum has a focus on specialist maths, science and English teaching for Year 7 students.
The subjects will be taught by specialist teachers such as are found in a high school setting.
“By having the Year 7 students in high school, it will make it a lot easier for teachers to deliver the content as well as teaching to the kids and working to the expected standard, he said.”
The transition should also ensure South Australian students are not left behind their counterparts in other states.
“The Australian Reception to Year 6 Australian curriculum is different to the Year 7 to Year 10 curriculum framework,” he said.
“Most of our children moving to Year 7 are ready for high school already, but it can also depend on the child’s circumstances.”
Having a close connection with Grant High School already, Mr Crowden said existing transition practices for Year 7 students would be adjusted to the Year 6 level.
“We always invite the Year 8 students to come back and talk to the Year 7 cohort, so presume this will change to Year 7 students taking to Year 6.”
Earlier this week, Grant High School was announced as one of a handful of schools receiving State Government funds to prepare for the transition.
The school will receive $7m for the construction of a performing arts centre and more classrooms.
A $13m package of professional learning for teachers and principals was also announced, which will fund further tertiary qualifications for primary teachers to make the move to high school.
Mr Crowden said he hoped the transition would not result in staff being in positions where they did not want to be.
“Some may choose to go to high school if those options are available,”he said.
“I think we will be looking at maintaining contracts instead of permanent positions to support that transition across.”
Mr Crowden believed the transition would not have too much impact on student and staff numbers, estimating 15 children would transition earlier as a result of the policy.
“The school directly feeds from one kindergarten anyway so we should remain steady with what we are already at,” he said.
“Occasionally we will get children from other kindergartens, but it does not make too much difference.
“I think around 15 Melaleuca students children will transition earlier, but we have managed to plan all our staff and we should not be displacing any staff.”
Mr Crowden said the school had been planning for the transition for around six months.
“It is an exciting change it should help students out a lot,” he said.
