Middle School

At St Joseph’s School Clare, our Middle School is driven by a pedagogy (belief, method and practice of teaching) that focuses on the unique and specific needs of adolescent students. It builds on the foundations and skills created in primary school and provides a safe and challenging environment for our young people to grow. We recognise that during adolescence young people are going through rapid physical, social, emotional and intellectual growth. We have tailored our curriculum, learning areas and pedagogy to best facilitate this growth. Our pedagogy is:

Challenging: We have the highest expectations of our students and support them when challenging their thinking and capacity to learn.

Informed: Our teaching team consists of experienced and skilled educators who understand the research which informs our and evidence-based teaching and the learning practices best suited to adolescent learners.

Inclusive: We recognise our students have diverse backgrounds, experiences, personalities and goals. We prioritise all of these in our teaching and learning.

Relevant: Our learning experiences are designed with real world applications embedded in the learning. The presentation of students’ work is negotiated and appropriately challenging for each student.

Pastoral: Each student works with a small group of teachers who know each student explicitly. Students have a sense of belonging and connectedness. We aim to raise the hearts and minds of our young people.

Integrative: Our curriculum integrates technology, knowledge and 21st century skills into our learning experiences.

Ethical: Our curriculum is ethically centred to allow our students a sense of empathy and capacity to grow.

Responsible: Our school structures and learning experiences encourage the responsibility to serve others and the environment, while taking control of one’s own learning and actions.

Middle School Curriculum Handbook 2022