Ballina Coast High School Middle School 2025
Purpose
The purpose of the Ballina Coast High School Middle School Program is to provide a nurturing, structured, and flexible learning environment that supports Year 7 students as they navigate the complex transition from primary to secondary school. The program is designed to address the challenges students face during this critical period, including adapting to new teachers, more complex social dynamics, diverse academic subjects, and the demands of a larger, more fluid school environment.
By prioritising relationship-building, emotional support, and innovative teaching practices, the program will help students develop a strong sense of belonging, build resilience, and become active, engaged learners. The program is committed to creating a classroom culture where students feel safe, valued, and supported in their personal and academic growth.
Key Features
1. Relationship-Building: The program prioritises connection before content, with a focus on building positive relationships between students and teachers, as well as among students. This will help foster a sense of belonging, trust, and safety.
2. Trauma-Informed Teaching: The program will integrate Berry Street Trauma-Informed Teaching and Learning practices to ensure that all students, particularly those who have experienced trauma or adversity, are supported in their emotional and academic needs.
3. Consistent and Predictable Routines: Consistent routines across classrooms will provide a sense of security and predictability for students, reducing anxiety and helping them feel confident in their daily school experience.
4. Innovative Pedagogy: The program will incorporate team teaching, explicit teaching, project-based learning, and inquiry-based learning to cater to diverse learning styles, engage students in authentic tasks, and encourage independent thinking.
5. School Values: The program will be aligned with Ballina Coast High School’s values of empathy, self-regulation, collaboration, kindness, and communication, ensuring that students’ emotional and social development is supported alongside their academic growth.
6. Supportive Environment: The program will be designed to address the diverse needs of students, including those who may struggle with aspects of the transition due to social or emotional challenges, learning difficulties, or other barriers to success.
7. Holistic Development: By integrating academic and social-emotional learning, the program aims to nurture the whole student, helping them develop the skills they need to be successful learners, responsible citizens, and resilient young adults.
2025 Structure
The program reduces the number of teachers teaching Year 7. Two teachers will be responsible for teaching a subject area:
Mathematics: Renae Wood and Kristie Li
Science: Damian McClymont and Pat Byrnes
History: Amanda Hatcher and Jackson Meehan
English: Stefan Edelmann and Aden Haywood
English and HSIE as well as Mathematics and Science classes are timetabled on at the same time. This structure enables team teaching, cross curricular teaching and learning, sharing of resources as well ensuring consistent and predictable routines are embedded in Year 7 classrooms.