Middle School

Head of Middle School

Daniel Williams

Welcome to the Middle School. (Year 5-Year 8)

We created our Middle School like the other schools within our school quite deliberately. The middle years of formal schooling are a time of great change for students, physically, mentally, emotionally and socially; increasingly we had reached a point where it was self-evident that something had to give. Actual events within our student body mirrored what broader educational research was also demonstrating. The point at which students were starting to disengage from learning was actually becoming younger - Year 5 and 6 - and the spike of anti-social behaviour, inappropriate use of social media and general personal conflict were all characteristics of this phenomena. There is no doubt that a contributing factor to all of this confusion was the transition from the primary to the secondary years of formal schooling.

Central to the learning philosophy that we have and wish to transfer is that we carried out our own research as to the way forward. The starting point was the Department of Education's Middle Years Learning Policy. There is a degree of evolution in our practice but core to our Middle School beliefs are the need to re-engage those students who were starting to drift and also to provide a space and learning environment where students in this phase of learning have the ability and room to stretch and grow to their full potential.

Middle School students now cooperate in their learning with more teachers than they would in a traditional Primary School but fewer than in a traditional Secondary School. Master classes led by not one but two teachers are a feature; CAPaBLE (Creative and Passion-based Learning Experience) classes introduce a whole range of twenty first century learning skills; and finally full use of whole school resources for students through a broad range of elective subjects. The success of these initiatives is being borne out in the achievements of our students and by the fact that we are being sought out  at numerous forums across the state and we have hosted and will be hosting teachers from across our local area and increasingly from other areas around the state to learn more about what is happening at Uralla Central School. They are coming because of the outstanding program that Dan Williams and his team has developed and the fantastic outcomes that our students are achieving under their teachers guidance.

On a more mundane level the Principal, Michael Rathborne, and the Deputy Principal, Tracey Jenner, have an oversight role across the whole school.

The Head of Middle School is responsible for the overall coordination of the daily running of the Middle School and in conjunction with the rest of the school executive for setting curriculum directions.

The Head of Wellbeing, Bruce Nield, coordinates student wellbeing initiatives, learning support with our Learning and Support Teachers and our School Learning Support Officers.

Within the whole school Wellbeing structure there is a Middle School Wellbeing

coordinator (Sarah Targett) who assists the Head of Wellbeing specifically within the Middle School.

Any discussion of general matters, issues or concerns can be raised with class teachers or any member of the structure outlined above.

CAPA

The Years 5/6 Creative and Performing Arts class have been working on oil pastel and watercolour works as part of the Marine unit. 

Years 5&6 Knapping

Year 5/6 CAPaBLE Group 2 has decided to investigate the Stone Age and groups are working on investigating and making things including stone tools, Stone Age shelters and clothing. The photos show students carefully shaping (“knapping”) stone tools. Fun but painstaking. Other groups are looking to use animal skins and leather to make items of clothing and if you have any suitable materials for them to use it would be much appreciated.