Little fish in a big pond
Lauren Spedding
FROM next year, Queensland Year 7 students will be the smallest fish at high school, rather than the biggest fish in the primary school bowl.
The move will bring Queensland in line with all other states except South Australia, where Year 7 will remain the final year of primary school.
The change means a potential move for many teaching staff, and with it, the need for staff to understand the different learning and social needs of junior secondary (Year 7–9) students, and to provide the supportive, inclusive environment they need as part of their transition into their teenage years.
While making the switch from teaching at the P-12 Upper Coomera State College on the Gold Coast to the new Murrumba State Secondary College north of Brisbane wasn’t a big move for Lauren Spedding, she knew it’d be a big
Where the Year 7 students first entered my classroom as primary school students, they’ve now embraced life as high school... students.
step for her young students.
In the first eight months of the pilot program, Ms Spedding said she had noticed a marked difference in her students.
“On our first day of the pilot program, we started with 155 students. As the students entered the gate, you could see that they were nervous. You could see the parents were nervous,” she said.
“But what I've noticed is that where the Year 7 students first entered my classroom as primary school students, they’ve now embraced life as high school and junior secondary students.
In addition to helping her students settle into high school life, Ms Spedding has also made some adjustments, as she’s transitioned from the primary to high school teaching environment.
“For me personally, I really enjoy teaching in a high school setting,” she said.
“(In high school) you work closely with teachers who are specialists in their areas. We have heads of department who I can access at any point if I need help with resources for my learning experiences for my students.
“At the same time, I can actually plan with other teachers who are teaching the same subjects with me, which means we can really break the planning up, and make sure the lessons we're delivering are exceptional and our students are getting the best education possible,” Ms Spedding said.