The establishment of a middle school (years 7, 8 & 9) at St Andrew’s is in recognition of current world educational ideology that emphasizes the importance of a developmental step between the primary classroom and the demands of a secondary school. The great physiological, social and academic changes a child experiences from the age of 11 until the age of 15 call for a concentrated transitional emphasis in educational approach. Our St Andrew’s middle school is a direct and appropriate response to meeting the challenges of 21st century middle level education.

Our middle school strives to provide:

• Continuing development of numeracy and literacy skills.
• Organizational competencies.
• Inquiry and enjoyment in the learning process.
• Pastoral care and learning support
• Small classes of ‘engaged’ learners

A Middle School For Students

At St Andrew’s students are our priority. The pastoral care of our students is vested in the homeroom system and the organizational structure of our middle school. A student entering middle school is assigned a ‘homeroom and homeroom class.’ This is the constant that underpins the system. The student’s homeroom teacher teaches the class and maintains a daily link with the homeroom through assemblies, academic teaching time in the core, scheduled meetings at breaks, or at the end of the day during core and homeroom time before the student completes the formal part of the school day.

In giving the student the opportunity to develop a pastoral link with his/her homeroom teacher we maintain that important strength of the primary classroom: a focused sense of identity, and hence security, in a much larger school environment. This identity is especially important in year 7 or for new students entering during the middle school years. It creates a safe learning environment with checks and balances to ensure that obligations are being met and the student is coping well with the secondary school phase of education.

The homeroom teacher is the first point of contact for the student. Any areas of concern or suggestions will be received or followed up by the homeroom teacher in the first instance. A constructive relationship based on mutual respect and trust between student and homeroom teacher is developed through the course of the year.

Each student has a school planner which is completed daily. The planner records homework or important reminders, and should be checked daily by the student and on a regular basis by parents. The planner is signed by the homeroom teacher and countersigned by a parent or guardian. Any notes of a general nature are relayed to school or home via the planner. If used properly, a Middle School student should find the planner very helpful in ensuring each day is a smooth and organized one.

The homeroom also gives a student the opportunity to develop friendships with peers. This is another strength of the primary classroom that is fostered in our middle school structure. For the majority of the day all middle school students learn together in their respective homeroom groups. The exceptions to this are elective groups and mathematics.