Composite classes involve a teacher running two separate and different learning programs at the same time, usually because a school is unable to procure enough teaching staff. In practice, a teacher in a composite class would cover Year 3 learning first and then set work for those students before teaching different Year 4 work to the remainder of the class. Our stage-based classes are not composite classes. Within a stage, we run a two-year course for students (aligned with Australian Curriculum requirements) that allows us to flexibly group and regroup students according to need, interest, passion, and ability. Students are learning the same concepts and skills together; although, the learning is modified to teach these concepts/skills at different levels of difficulty/complexity. Across the two-year course, students who are struggling with specific concepts or skills have extra opportunities to consolidate those concepts/skills rather than be pushed into advanced learning when they haven’t mastered the essential learning. Students who are advanced in learning, are not required to repeat or sit through learning they would find boring – instead of being limited by their year level, they have opportunities to engage with learning at higher levels of difficulty and complexity. The purpose and intent of our stage-based learning program can essentially be surmised as meeting every child at their stretch point. Flexible and agile groupings, student voice and choice, and individualised learning pathways underpin our stage-based learning model.

With regards to open and flexible learning spaces, the key word is FLEXIBLE. Across the Junior School, our learning spaces are designed to provide the flexibility teachers need to create a space that supports the highest engagement in learning. This means, walls between classrooms can be opened wide to create a double space, half opened to provide a degree of flow throughout the whole space, or completely closed – it all depends on the task at hand. Teachers utilise the outdoor spaces and break out spaces for learning as well. The learning program is planned by the teaching team for all students in each stage. Grouping students so they are positioned best for their learning is part of this plan, and so is the way the space will be configured. The Stage teaching team are fully aware of students who may have sensitivities to noise, who need movement breaks, who need support close by or who need additional resources. While lessons take place, teachers and learning assistants are present. They could be working with a group and also accessible to other students, or they can be walking throughout the learning space identifying students who are ready to be stretched or who need help. You won’t find them sitting at their teachers desk, (there are no teacher desks!), because being available, facilitating learning and seeking out teachable moments is part of being an active teacher in stage based learning.

Even from a young age, Prep and Stage 1, the children learn to identify the groups they are in. Your child might be in the ‘star’ group for Numeracy, they might be in the ‘elephant’ group for reading or they might be in the ‘apple’ group for spelling. The Stage teaching team will group and re group students according to their abilities using the information and data they receive as students learn. They will also group students according to mixed abilities. It all depends on the task at hand. There are times when a lesson is very hands on and students can work with their friends, there will be times when they work in year levels or when they will be placed in groups that serve other purposes (developing specific learning habits, mentoring – with older and younger students paired together, etc). Not all learning takes place in groups, but after giving instructions, breaking into groups is a way for the teaching team to then differentiate (adjust) the core learning outcomes to suit the small group they are working with. In a nutshell, flexible groups brings the teacher/student ratio down, which supports students in their understanding, and helps teachers see, know and meet the next step for each child in their learning. In a particular subject area such as Literacy, certain groups are led by the teachers or learning assistants. This is where they will focus on core curriculum or skills development, while other groups will be more independent, have a hands on activity or task to consolidate what has been taught explicitly. Unlike a composite class, where one group is doing ‘busy work’ while the teacher teaches the other group, and then they swap, Stage based learning involves a team of educators being active in the learning process for all children in the stage. There is always an educator on hand to respond to groups who get more chatty or off task, to help students who are stuck or to challenge those who need to extend their learning further. As with any classroom environment, the systems in place prop up the learning program. As a priority, the Stage team of teachers will explicitly teach the children how we work together. This includes setting up things like; where we put our drink bottles and fruit snack, where our group workbooks get stored. A colour coded flow chart or timetable of the sessions group activities is visible for children to refer to, a nominated student leader of each group organises the resources they need, group activities are set up so they flow from one to the next. All of these systems and process help organise the children, the space, and the learning. As well as this – being in the everyday flow of these systems is subtly teaching the children HOW to be organised themselves.

This link will provide explanation of the various ways we use spaces within the learning environment to effectively teach students. Explicit instruction is a term that describes the way information is specifically delivered to students. It is an important tool for teachers, because it is a way of engaging a child’s long term memory, as well as their executive functioning. When teachers and students gather around the Campfire (refer to the link above), this is an opportunity to give instruction that connects new information to a child’s existing memory, or to deliver a chunk of information that a child will hold in their working memory for short term use. Many lessons where students will be working in groups, will begin with explicit instruction around a ‘campfire’ setting. This could look like a class or more of students sitting on the carpet while a teacher, an interactive video, a guest speaker or even a student, provide the group with new information or instructions to follow. What else is going on during these times? Students are developing active listening skills, patience and turn taking skills while others talk, respect and whole body listening manners, as well as many other communication skills. Usually, once the instructions are given and any questions are answered, the Stage teaching team will know which students may need the instructions broken down into smaller chunks or steps, they will be able to subtly move through the space to ensure every child has confidence in what they are doing next.

Programs and systems don’t improve student outcomes in insolation – high quality teachers and thoughtful reflective teaching practices make learning beneficial to students. Our stage-based learning model gives our teachers the freedom and opportunity to organise learning that meets students at their stretch point – their point of challenge. This model allows students needing to consolidate learning the time and space to make progress and releases students to extend beyond the rigid curriculum confines of their year level. Research demonstrates that the social opportunities provided by cross-age cooperation and collaboration in the classroom provides positive social-emotional skills for students beyond those developed in standard year level classrooms. The relationships students form in a diverse age setting can lead to a great sense of support, confidence, security, and belonging.

Class groups are organised through data driven processes which balance and consider a range of student attributes to create optimal learning environments for students. Flexible groupings that occur in the classroom can be organised a myriad of diverse ways (age, ability, gender, interest, friendship, personality, location, etc.).

Our stage-based model gives students, who find themselves lagging a little behind age-level standards (e.g.1-2 years), opportunities to consolidate their learning over a two-year period. This supports students as they receive instruction at their level of understanding, rather than being rushed through content that is too advanced for them. Our Student Development team also work alongside our students and teaching staff to support students on adjustment plans and to educate students to become more independent in their approach to learning. The stage-model is not designed to take students who are multiple years below standard or to provide ongoing one-to-one support for students.

One of the advantages of stage-based learning is that by design it affords opportunities to accelerate and extend students to ensure that they are not limited by the curriculum confines of their year level. We know that learning is not fun and engaging when it is unnecessarily repetitive, or students are forced to complete work that they have already mastered. In practice, a student in Year 3 who is advanced in Mathematics can easily have access to learning that is typically only accessible to Year 4 students (or beyond!). You will also hear us talk about valuing student ‘voice and choice’ in the learning environment – this means we endeavour to provide opportunities in the classroom where students can have a say and help shape the topics or focus areas we are learning, which significantly improves student interest in the learning process.

Stages at Calvary encompass two consecutive year levels at a time and most students are only about a year apart in age. We see lots of mixed aged friendship groups at Calvary occurring both in and outside the classroom (which is not unusual given it would be rare for adults to only be friends with people who are the same age). Students generally blend effectively with others of all different attributes and like meeting any new person, it only takes a short time before students accept younger students in mixed groups as the norm. Older students in a stage sometimes play the role of a mentor or experienced helper to younger students, which helps older students by consolidating their understanding through peer tutoring and helps younger students to experience an alternative voice in the learning process.

Within a stage, there is generally a balanced split between year levels. The dynamics of classes and learning groups can shift and change regularly based on the type of activity students are pursuing. More importantly, we always consider class organisation with an eye to friendship groups and expanding friendship opportunities.