At Chevallum we are united in our pursuit of excellence.
Our efforts are directed towards providing children with a creative, stimulating learning environment that will foster positive self-esteem, a desire to learn, the confidence to take risks and the skills and knowledge necessary to achieve their full potential as a lifelong learner in an ever changing world.
At Chevallum State School we believe there is no such thing as an 'average' child, and are committed to the development of the full potential of the whole child.
We aim to provide a curriculum that is responsive to the needs of each individual student. In providing such a curriculum we have structured our classrooms to allow for more flexibility than is possible with traditional age grouping, by children work together in multi-age groups
What is Multi-age grouping?
“In each family, each child is a teacher and a learner, and each profits from first hand contact experience with older and younger children.”
- C P Cullen (Director of Education, 1987)
In implementing our philosophy we have found the most effective organization structure is
Multi-age grouping. In multi-age grouping, children of a wide range of ages are grouped together on purpose. There are many advantages that enhance the child’s learning environment.
The most usual form of multi-age grouping is where children entering school join children who are in their second or third year, or who are in a group with 3-4 year range. There are many advantages to this grouping:
- The young child starting school joins a class with older children.
- i.e. friends of a brother or sister who provides a comforting link with home and security.
- A more natural learning situation is established. Children work at their own pace, helping each other by invitation or intention. Their program is not geared to the work of a single year, but can be adjusted over a two or three year period.
- It increases opportunity for co-operation, particularly with older pupils helping the younger ones and giving them some of the extra attention and help they need.
- The make-up of the class is stable with the older children moving out at the end of any year and the others remaining.
- The problem of trying to cope with a class of children, all roughly the same age and making similar demands is avoided.
- The teacher always has children familiar with class organization, who keep it going while newcomers have time to ‘settle in’.
- Most children have three years with a teacher or two teachers who have the opportunity to know them and their parents very well and can use this knowledge to match the curriculum to their needs.
- School/home co-operation strengthens when teachers and parent know and work with one another.
Multi-age at Chevallum
Our Philosophy
Our aim is to cater for the learning needs of the individual child.
In other words, it is our aim to provide an environment to enable each child to develop:
1. All the skills needed to learn
Academic skills of literacy, numeracy and research; social skills of co-operation and responsibility; personal skills which enable a child to be secure enough to accept the challenges of self-direction and decision making, and physical skills of manipulation, vision and co-ordination.
2. A desire to learn
Lifelong learning is a reality in our ever-changing world. All children are born with an innate desire to learn. This desire to learn facilitates a love of learning throughout a child’s infant years. Therefore it is our aim to assist children to continue this natural desire to learn in a school setting.
3. A knowledge of how to learn
This is essential for children living in our continually changing environment.
In developing this environment one must consider the following points:
- Children have different learning styles, and
- There must be a ‘someone’ involved in a child’s learning
Our philosophy enables:
• students to experience success
• students to experience choice
• students to experience quality learning
• students to take pride in accomplishment.
• students to be adaptable and risk-take as learners in a supportive environment.
Our school environment provides opportunities:
• for initiative and innovation
• to foster creativity
• develop problem-solving ability
• involve parents as partners in meeting their children's educational needs.