Middle School (Years 7 – 9)

Catering for the needs of boys and girls

All of our Middle School classes are coeducational. However, in Year 9, we run single-sex tutor groups covering gender-specific issues relating to adolescence.

A broad education

Preparation for the Senior Years extends past the core curriculum – the Middle School is concerned with growth and supports this through year-based tutor groups, year coordinators and an academic coordinator, all of whom are involved with building and extending the skills of every student.

Pastoral care and student development

Our Middle School has a purposely welcoming culture, recognising these years as crucial in the development of socialisation skills. The Christian underpinnings of St Andrew’s are reflected in a culture of care between students and staff. Through extensive co-curricular programs and community service activities, Middle school students are encouraged to fully engage in their passions beyond the classroom, and to also try new activities that extend beyond their comfort zone.

Our Middle School staff understand the importance of continuity in education, so we aim to develop skills in our students that will enable them to transfer with ease into Senior College (Years 10-12).

In 2016, the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IB MYP) was introduced into Year 7 at St Andrew’s. From 2018, this framework for learning was incorporated across the entire Middle School curriculum.

The IB MYP is an internationally accredited framework for learning which is specifically designed for students aged 11 to 16 and caters for their particular learning needs and styles during this stage of life. Students continue to follow the content of NSW syllabuses within the MYP educational framework. It is inclusive in nature, providing academic rigour for all students, including gifted and talented and those needing support.

As the culmination of the students’ final year of the MYP, they undertake an independent ‘Personal Project’, which is a significant piece of work of the student’s own initiative and creativity. The project requires research and the creation of a product with supporting documentation. Examples of this have been the creation of a garden, a website detailing ways to save power or the writing of a novel. This incredibly rewarding project gives students an opportunity to research an area of passion which may not have been covered in school subjects.

Preparing students for the HSC or IB Diploma

Whether they select to study the Higher School Certificate and International Baccalaureate Diploma in their senior years, students will be required to possess a broad, rich skillset. Our Middle School teaching strategies integrate higher order thinking skills of synthesis, analysis and reason across core subjects and the broad range of electives.