Junior School Structure

At Kingston High School the Junior School is comprised of Grade 7 and 8 students who are based in three Pods, D, E and F Pods. There is a Junior School Assistant Principal, three Pod Coordinators – one in each pod, and a team of core teachers based in each Pod with whom students spend the majority of their time.  The core teachers have a strong pastoral care role and develop close connections with students across a range of learning areas.

The Pod environment develops a community of learners or a small school within a school. Each pod has between 100-125 students and four or five teachers who spend the majority of their time in one pod. The Junior School provides a nurturing and safe learning environment for all students. This enables students to feel secure and enjoy a sense of belonging; as well as providing for a consistent approach to their learning and welfare.

 

How the Grade 7/8 Learning Program is organised

The Kingston High timetable has twenty, seventy five minute lessons per week; four lessons per day.

Grade 7/8 Core Curriculum

Grade 7/8 students are taught in their home-groups for the compulsory core subjects: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities and Social Science (HASS).  Students may be regrouped according to content demands in Mathematics and in other subject areas according to the content and concepts being taught.  Students have core subjects for 12 of their 20 lessons per week:

  • English - three lessons per week
  • Maths – three lessons per week
  • Science – three lessons per week
  • HASS – three lessons per week

Health and Physical Education is also compulsory and is studied for 2 lessons per week.

MyEducation / Work Studies will be embedded within the core learning time.

In addition to the core program Grade 7 students undertake taster courses in ‘optional’ subjects, while Grade 8 students can select from a range of options subjects in:

  • The Arts – Music, Drama, Art, Creative Writing
  • Technologies – Design Technology, Design and Materials in the Home, Digital Technologies
  • Languages – Japanese

There are six lessons per week for options subjects, two lessons for each subject.  Students choose two yearlong subjects and two semester (half-year) subjects in Grade 8.