Organisation+of+the+School+day

=Organisation of the School Day =

= 2011 =

The OSD Focus Group continued its review of the current timetable structure of a five day timetable, with 6 periods each days and with Year 9 - 12 blocks having two double lessons and one single lesson per week. The review gathered feedback from staff and students and then made the following recommendation to the Curriculum Design Team:

// The OSD Focus Group review concludes that the current structure is difficult to work within. Other model structures considered also have issues to consider. Mostly, these issues relate to the way the curriculum is structured, especially at Years 9 – 12. To ensure a more workable structure, a major change needs to be considered. This change needs to be discussed within the realm of the CDT since potentially restructuring the day may also necessitate restructuring the curriculum program. // // It is recommended that the CDT consider the following: // // 1. A restructure of the curriculum at Years 9 – 12 for more flexibility in the timetable. // // 2. Consideration of a 10 day Timetable for more flexibility of class allocations. // // 3. Consideration of a 4 period day for more uniform spread of weekly class time. //

Following discussion at CDT and an extraordinary CDT meeting, a Curriculum Focus Group was convened, with an invitation to staff to join, to explore curriculum delivery options and prepare a discussion paper to be delivered to CDT on 12th October. The OSD group will then explore the structure to best support this curriculum delivery.

= 2010 =

Members of the focus group visited a number of schools with a 4 period day structure, in contrast to EHS six period day. The focus group used the visits to ask questions about each school's experience with this structure and investigate whether there were elements of this structure that would best suit EHS. Below are some of the findings: • Calmer atmosphere • Early finish every Monday for PD, meetings, etc. • Fewer classes to prepare for each day. • Students have fewer lessons per day. • Lessons go into more depth. • Staff say would not return to 6 pd day given choice. || • HG.1.2.1 day • Not all staff see value in HG (Connections) program • Allotments are 1200 mins (20 hours) per week. Allotments, Time allowances, extras etc worked to the minute, rather than multiples of class time. • Contact times averaged over 3 weeks, so may have uneven spread of lessons, which could lead to a number of days with no contact. || • HG (Connections) progam for all 7-12(11?) 20 mins every day followed by 4 x 70 min periods • Maths, Eng, Sci classes blocked together at 7 – 10 and grouped by ability. • 3 week TT • No VCAL or VET || • Less movement around the school so less time wasted. • Half the day completed by recess. • Longer preparation periods. • Students have fewer classes to concentrate in and fewer books to carry around for the day. • Lessons go into more depth. • Year 9 students questioned say they are able to go into more depth in lessons. • SACs during non-class time on Mon and Fri period 4. • Staff say would not return to 6 pd day given choice. || • Fewer preparation periods. • Need to plan 2/3 activities per lesson. • Long period of time before recess. • Year 9 students questioned say some lessons can get boring. || • 75 min periods • Need to plan 2/3 activities per lesson. • Non-class time on Mon and Fri period 4 (VCE). Run SACs, assemblies, speakers, etc. • Mon and Fri TT set up so can be swapped if too many disruptions at either day. • 5 day TT • 2.1.1 day • Students encouraged to eat at recess to sustain them till lunch. • Home-groups run through a different KLA at different year levels. Eg. English teachers at Y8 are Y8 HG teachers. Given extra period per week for this to occur. • VET program • 5 min break between Pds 1 and 2, students encouraged to grab a snack to get through till recess. ||
 * POSITIVES || NEGATIVES || INTERESTING ||
 * ** Macleod College ** ||  ||   ||
 * * Fewer classes per day so reduced stress for teachers (no 6 pd day)
 * School atmosphere calmer.
 * Lessons go into more depth.
 * Half the day completed by recess
 * Year 12 Wed afternoon period for non-class activities.
 * Staff say would not return to 6 pd day given choice. || * Time allowances smaller after change. || * Ten day timetable
 * VET program
 * 40% of staff part time.
 * No class sharing.
 * 75 min periods
 * Cannot bluff, need to plan activities for lessons.
 * 2.1.1 day
 * 25 min recess at 11.30, 50 min lunch at 1.10. ||
 * ** Koonung Secondary College ** ||  ||   ||
 * • Less movement around school
 * ** Balwyn High School ** ||  ||   ||
 * • Fewer classes to prepare for both daily and weekly.

Three models were presented to staff to consider and give feedback: Model 1: Status Quo with a 6 period day structure with 2 doubles and one single at Years 9 to 12 Model 2: A 6 period day structure with 1 double and three singles at Years 9 to 12 Model 3: A 4 period day structure.

The following is some of the feedback received from staff • Good for pracs • 3 or 4 classes per day maximum • Can begin and end something valuable in a double • Senior School more time • Great for Art, Food, Tech and PE as minimises set up and pack up times. • 6 on day is still only 3 (or 4) classes • 2 doubles good for prac classes • Works well with prac classes and senior classes • More in depth learning • Contact time is less often but get more chance to see individuals in the longer classes • Meeting the needs of most areas - Contact time and less movement • Need more time to judge success or failure • Good for theory classes like Health • Allows for greater depth of content in the double • Instrumental and music classes find this a manageable/quantifiable timeframe • No early mornings is good as this had high absenteeism and sleepy kids who could not concentrate. (Can run Music Ensemble rehearsals) • Large classes – get to more kids in double || • Student concentration at the end of a double • 2 bells in the middle • Can’t follow up work • JS not prioritised (5 day gaps) • No processing time between lessons • Large inactive days • Lack of contact time • 4 minute breaks • Can’t get sports coaches • This has had a lot of impact of withdrawals for various activities. • No flexibility in the day with kids (year 12) only having 1 block spare • More problems with staff who cannot handle student behaviour • Only advantages 1 KLA • LOTE/Eng/SOSE (Literacy) is disadvantaged with not enough contact time • Absentees miss a lot if they miss a double • Sport – difficulty staffing interschool sport (no-one willing to miss a double) • Issue of SDD on 1st 3 days of week being more likely • Not enough contact times • Sessions are too big for Year 7 (academic) / Year 9 Maths • Easy to get behind on content, creates stress • Students are tired • Missing a day means they have a greater chance of missing doubles • Harder to keep “on top” of students as fewer contacts • Not enough Science rooms to perform practical work. Science is about hands on activities. Science in 602 is not ok • Hard to deliver content in doubles • Reduces out of class consolidation times • Physical/Practical doubles too long – stressful • Don’t know kids as well • Blocking of classes Mon/Tue/Wed big problem || • More varied activities needed • Strategies for lesson planning • Can extra curricula days be staggered on different days? • Too many doubles encourage students to be ‘ancy’ wanting breaks • Prepares for exams • JS longer doubles not good for some subjects. • Better for Prac classes • Doubles provide time for staff to achieve something • Unsure whether it does infact allow flexibility for JS as there seems to be more doubles here (or at least 2 contact times per day) • To compromise with Model 3, one period from Technology could go to Maths/Literacy • Disadvantages of only 3 contacts a week • A good compromise position || OTHER COMMENTS • Rebuilding – need to mindful of shortage of rooming – which model will provide the most flexibility for the timetable? • Split MS from SS so they don’t miss out on doing electives. Electives 4 periods per week, not 5
 * ===Model 1: Status Quo with a 6 period day structure with 2 doubles and one single at Years 9 to 12 === ||  ||   ||
 * POSITIVE || NEGATIVE || INTERESTING ||
 * • In depth learning (100 mins)

• Greater reinforcement • Less likelihood to miss large time due to Sport, Assemblies, etc • Allows to grasp concepts – good teaching time for Maths, SOSE, Eng, LOTE, Sci, etc • Singles are a good length for theory lessons • Better for running sports/excursions/extra curricular • Students don’t miss as much • 4 contacts per week • Less pressure on rooms • More contact time so better continuity • Reinstating early morning will free up teaching spaces • Kids will be able to concentrate better • Contact time frequency far outweighs increased time in blocks || • Potential for 6 different classes in one day • Students too tired to learn • Negative impact on Food Technology • Early morning classes • Prac classes very difficult eg Art, PE, Tech • More movement - lateness • Not so good for prac subjects • More movement around grounds and at lockers • Less depth able to be covered in a lesson • Lose much time with students moving from period to period • Early morning class creates too many Year 12 spares, therefore lack of focus • More preparation for teachers with preparing for more singles • More time lost with things like roll marking and computer roll because its done more often • Worst for theory class and concentration of curriculum – everything will be “we need to continue next lesson" || • Will VCE students use spares wisely if early morning classes (or afternoon) introduced • After school no go – jobs, sport, music, meetings – are they important or not? || OTHER COMMENTS • Best model but not with early morning class. This is an imposition on staff and students – why not an after school class when students and teachers are awake? Students learn better this way.
 * ==Model 2: A 6 period day structure with 1 double and three singles at Years 9 to 12 == ||  ||   ||
 * POSITIVE || NEGATIVE || INTERESTING ||
 * • More contact times per week


 * < == Model 3: A 4 period day structure. ==

||  ||   || • Frequency minimum 3 days a week for LOTE • Good for Senior classes depth • Sacs taken out of class time • Technology’s second choice • Less movement • It’s a nice amount for a lesson • Less student movement || • Especially VCE - Will lose time with students (24 mins) • Impossible for Food Technology, particularly Patisserie – Bakery can’t be done • Length of extras • Numeracy classes – 72 min too long • Hard to commit to other programs in the school. As a classroom teacher to commit to coaching a team e.g. miss more time of a class • Damaging to LOTE with big blocks of time • LOTE, ENG, SOSE all not working at M/S & J/S • 72 min stressful for teachers • J/S translation is not straightforward • More students eating in class • Concentration issues for J/S • Too short for Prac classes • Imbalance at JS of KLA time • Too inflexible • By losing 24 min a block this would result in teachers teaching more classes • Late lunch issue • Y8 HHR or subjects currently on 2 singles now may result in only 1 lesson per week. This will mean that with sports, report days teacher absence etc you may not see a class for 2 or more weeks. • Reduce teacher flexibility to set Sac times • A lot of work involved in changing • Long time concentrating for kids P1 & 2 • A subject that currently has 2 X 48 becomes 1 X 72 or 2 X 72 • Not long enough time for in depth learning • Less time for in depth inquiry with 72 min || • Late recess • Toilet breaks • Only see JS once for e.g. PE • How many periods will Junior classes get? • May work well with Inquiry • How will the extras be done? • How will this impact on our preparation time? • How do we allocate curriculum time in 7 -9 to be equitable with our current balance? • What to use swinging periods for? • Allotment impact • Extra periods: What programme? Who staffs it? Educationally worthwhile? Could turn into a waste. Would need to be very organised • Impact on Instrumental Music program? Half period lessons? • How does this fit with Literacy, Numeracy programs= ?? staffing || OTHER COMMENTS • What do students think about these models?
 * < POSITIVE || NEGATIVE || INTERESTING ||
 * < • Day goes quickly