Learning @ Friends' 24 Plus Program

Cover image: Year 7 curriculum group staff, concept mapping for 2024

L@F24+ Update

Term 3 has been another busy time for staff in developing and implementing important aspects of the Learning @ Friends’ 24 Plus (L@24+) Program and the commencement of the new secondary years structure for the start of 2024.

“The purpose of the Learning @ Friends’ 24 Plus (L@F24+) Program is to better meet the learning, social, emotional, spiritual needs and development of students both now and into the future. The L@F24+ Program is the reorganisation of secondary year groups across the school; and is establishing an updated optimal learning environment through the redesign and enhancement of the Years 7 to 12 curricular & co-curricular programs."

Curriculum programs in combination with subject selections and timetabling have been some of the key planning and design aspects over the last term. There has also been exciting developments with regards to staffing, student leadership and House structures for the start of 2024.

Below is an update and some more information regarding the L@F24+ Program and changes commencing next year.

Staff Leadership

We are pleased to advise that we have recently finalised the appointment of the staff in the following roles for 2024:

Year 7 & 8

Learning Leaders: Tracie Acreman and Nicola Collins
House and Student Leadership Coordinator: Esther Hoggart

Please following the following link to view the Year 7 & 8 Leadership in 2024

Years 9 to 12

House Leaders: Casey-Rae Mullen (Hodgkin), Kimberley Carrodus (Mather), Sam Norton (Ransome) and Jane Barling (Unwin)

Year 7 to 10 Curriculum

In reorganising, and in some cases, simplifying the curriculum, the offering and schedule allows for a greater depth in learning, aligns more clearly with the School’s Purpose and Concerns, and is in the best interests of student development, learning and pathways. The new curriculum framework also helps us better meet the latest Australian Curriculum (Version 9) requirements.

You are invited to view the following videos, with our Deputy Principal Shaun O’Rourke, Director of Access and Inclusion Catherine Gray, Director Teaching and Learning Lyn Tunbridge and Deputy Head of Year 7 & 8 - Learning in 2024 John Hoggart. The videos provide an overview of the L@F24+ program purpose, areas of change in the curriculum, why the changes were made and the benefits these changes bring, and an Access & Inclusion overview.

Years 7 & 8 Access & Inclusion in 2024 Video

Years 9-12 Access & Inclusion in 2024 Video

One of the biggest challenges that students and staff are currently facing is how busy students are in Year 10 in the current structure. Working with all students and also our Access and Inclusion students - we know that the current Year 10 model is significantly more time consuming than Year 11 and 12 simply due to the amount of work students are required to do in their nine subjects. We feel that the current timetable of students having nine different classes is too much. There is more work, more homework and significantly more stress finding the appropriate time for all students to complete all required work, assignments, quizzes and tests.

Making the decision for all Year 9’s and 10's to move to seven different classes with two electives in 2024 was based upon not only examining years of student elective choices, current subject offerings, considerations for future Year 11 and 12 pathways but also latest research in this area. By teaching seven classes with more time allocation for the 'core classes' and to offer different choices for the maths and science subjects that possess curriculums that will better relate to current student interests, performances and future subject choice / interests. This in turn will allow students access to more time for these subjects and more access to their subject teachers. It will also decrease the 'busyness' of students and will enhance better connections and more time for learning and teaching for these teachers. The 2024 timetable also deliberately ensures that Year 9 and 10 teachers will be having a reduced number of students they are teaching overall because they are teaching less classes for longer periods of time (ie the 'core' classes of English, Maths, Science and Humanities will move to have four hours per week from the current three hours). Therefore, better student / teacher connections and more learning time for all students will be the result.

The decision to move to two electives from the current three takes into account that currently a number of the electives are academic 'core' electives where students are taking maths extended, biology, humanities options etc. With the future grouping of maths and science classes where Year 9 and 10 students who are interested in taking the highest maths classes in Year 11 and 12 are exposed to curriculums that will properly prepare them for their future classes. While other students who are not interested in taking the highest maths classes in Year 11 and 12 will be taught in classes that will match their interests, current performance and future pathways. We believe that taking away the academic 'core' electives and incorporating them into our core classes will still allow the same number of elective class selections from Arts, Music, languages, technology as only two of these were able to be selected under the pre 2024 system.

Year 7 to 10 Curriculum - Changes for Access and Inclusion

As our Access and Inclusion students spend most of their time in curriculum classrooms, there was an identified need to strengthen the connection between classroom teachers, students and the Access and Inclusion team, in order to better understand individual needs and to ensure that adjustments, modifications and effective strategies are provided through the classroom program in 2024. It will also enable closer monitoring and support by the Access and Inclusion specialist for classroom learning. A review of current approaches across the school from E-12 recognised a need to reconsider structures and approaches, underpinned by research and evidence based best practice, and which will work more effectively as a result of the restructured curriculum and timetable.

The shift to inclusive classroom practices will also enable the Access and Inclusion team to be responsive and flexible in supporting students, with the capacity to continue to provide tiers of intervention to students with small groups and 1:1, and additional time, at the point of need. Additionally, it will enable more individualised and personalised learning for our students with the highest levels of need. This approach sits within the overarching structural changes to curriculum, timetabling and teaching and learning which have been developed.

There has been no reduction in Access and Inclusion staffing. In fact, we will free up time for teachers in specific subjects to also be available to offer additional support for learning. Students who currently receive Subject Support will have a designated Access and Inclusion staff member responsible for monitoring progress and learning, managing the interventions and additional support, and acting as an advocate for our students in their learning.

For those students moving into Year 10, we are keen to use time that has been identified as 'opportunity block' time to offer a range of study support time. This will include both subject specific and general study support. We will have the terms more accurately planned out later this year. We are also looking to support all Year 10 students in Term 4 with study skills in a similar way to what is done in Years 11 and 12.

Year 7 to 10 Curriculum - Changes for Access and Inclusion

Year 7 to 10 Curriculum - Changes in Humanities Curriculum

The Year 10 core Humanities subject will contain Geography, Economics and Business, and some key concepts and content explored in the Global Politics elective. This will ensure student access and understanding of the cross-curriculum priorities of the Australian Curriculum, including engagement with Asia and sustainability.

Additional benefits of the changes to the Humanities offering include:

Having the same teacher in Humanities for four terms a year;
Reducing the subject disciplines a student is expected to study, thus: increasing the emphasis on the processes of learning rather than the products of learning; and increasing the access to curriculum content for a broader understanding of the Humanities for all students.
Providing a deeper understanding of the interests, readiness and needs of students.
Facilitating a range of inquiries and a greater depth of studies explored in the enhanced Humanities program. These lines of inquiry or depth studies may include questions and queries related to the behavioural science disciplines of Psychology and Sociology, as well as subject disciplines that traditionally revolve around the Australian Curriculum General Capabilities of intercultural and ethical understanding - such as Religion and Philosophy.

In early Term 4, we will be conducting lunch time sessions for students to discuss the changes and ask questions with key staff in preparation for 2024. This will include more information about the Curriculum, electives and an overview of the Opportunity Blocks within the new timetable.

Year 7 to 10 Curriculum - Year 9 Program

Aaron Davey who will be Deputy Head of Year 9 to 12 Campus - Year 9 Program in 2024 has recently met with current Year 8 students to provide more details about the Year 9 program. Some aspects included:

Why have a Year 9 program, including the purpose and focus areas
Program principles
Program overview
Event schedule and ongoing activities
Indigenous immersion

You can view an overview of the Year 9 program here.

House & Student Leadership

Amy Harris (Deputy Head of Y9-12 in 2024) and Esther Hoggart (House and Leadership Coordinator Y7&8 in 2024), in consultation with Mark Febey (Head of Early Learning and Primary Years) and Debbie Taylor (K to Y6 Coordinator), have been leading the Student Leadership and House System consultation and design with students and staff in recent months. As previously mentioned, the principles that underpin the new formats and opportunities include:

For the current 4 houses at The Friends’ School to be K-12 (Not including FEL);
For student leadership opportunities to be offered across more year levels and in both formal and informal ways; and
To enhance vertical cross-campus and school section leadership collaboration.

House & Student Leadership - Years 7 & 8

From next year, there will be a Student Voice Council which will be made up of two leadership streams; Student House Leaders and Key Class Representatives. Each House will elect two Student Leaders per semester, and each Key Class will elect one Class Representative per semester. This will enable twenty of our aspiring Student Leaders to join the Student Voice Council per semester.

Information and the initial timeline has been provided to current Year 7 students and parents about Year 8 leadership opportunities. Pleasingly, students have provided very positive feedback about the new structure and opportunities. Some direct quotes from students include:

“Changing the leaders each semester - allows more people to experience leadership"
"Making the school a better place and following the Quaker rules"
"It gives people the chance to have the feeling as a leader and to have people to look up to them."

As well as formal Student Leadership positions in the 7-8 Campus, we encourage all students to have their voices heard through student-lead collaborative leadership opportunities, such as Learning Ambassador teams, representation through diversity groups, participating in service learning projects and active involvement in student-lead Campus initiatives.

House & Student Leadership - Years 9 to 12

With the focus on including Year 9 and 10, the House positions, continued diversity, increased student representation and voice, and the aim to work more across campuses, the revised Year 9 to 12 student leadership structure includes a range of positions. In each year group, students will have the opportunity to represent their House as Student House Leaders (10 - 12), Committee representatives for Environment, Wellbeing, Service and Diversity, as well as positions for new and international students.

We are pleased to announce new Head Students for 2024 - Eve Cooper and Charlie Bradford and more information will be shared as students are elected to the roles. Thanks to those students who have put themselves forward in this process and nominated themselves to be elected into leadership positions.

Some interesting resources that may be of interest to parents include:

“The Effects of a House System on School Improvement in Elementary Schools: School Climate and Academic Achievement.” Carol-Ann Clenton-Martin, University of Central Florida, 2021 - click here
“Developing School Spirit Through Your House System.” Allison Oharriz, November 25, 2022 - click here

Space Utilisation

The work in utilising our physical resources has focussed on grouping staff and students to work, learn and collaborate more effectively. A key change is the transferring of library resources and staff. Work has already commenced in sorting, stock taking and planning these moves.

Some upcoming work on the Commercial Road Campus includes:

Converting spaces in the WN Oats Building to provide more lounge / study areas, common room facilities and kitchen area for Year 11 and 12 students.
Upgrading the Dance Studio, Green room spaces and performing arts office areas.
Updating Physics room spaces.
Creating additional individual office rooms and re-organising spaces for additional leadership roles.

We are finalising the space allocation on the Year 7 & 8 Campus, with some upcoming adjustments being:

Updating foyer furniture
Updating office and meeting areas
Transforming the Meredith building (on Boa Vista Road) with the lower-level area being changed to include other learning activities and the upper-level to accommodate Art and Textiles curriculum.

As is the case with the L@F24+ Program, the School is keen to learn, develop, plan and design more physical resources once we have made the campus transition. This will allow us to fully understand and subsequently prioritise our key areas of need to support optimal student learning.

We will be conducting more parent tours in early Term 4, which will include opportunities for new families and students joining Friends’ in 2024.

As always, if you have any queries or would like to discuss specific queries, please visit the L@F24+ webpage, which includes an online enquiry form for anyone to ask questions or provide feedback. We encourage you to ask questions and provide feedback via this form. If you have any queries in the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact me, Director of Teaching and Learning and L@F24+ Program Coordinator Lyn Tunbridge (ltunbridge@friends.tas.edu.au) or Director of Community Engagement, Bill Avery (bavery@friends.tas.edu.au).

Warm regards,

Shaun O’Rourke

Deputy Principal and L@F24+ Program Leader