Middle years

This resource is being developed to support teachers and school communities as they engage with and implement middle years initiatives.

These materials are progressively being compiled. They currently contain:

• keynote presentations from the Middle Years Conference 2005: Engagement Resilience Success
• summary information about issues and strategies for the middle years
• information related to the Middle Years Action Research project, 2005–2006, which is being conducted by groups of schools with support from the Strategic Initiatives Directorate.

'The term "middle years" is used to describe young adolescents at the end of primary school and the beginning of secondary school (Year 5 to Year 9). Students in the 10 to 15 years age group have particular needs that are different from those of young children or older adolescents. In the middle years students generally identify strongly with their peers. They experience heightened emotions, progressively seek greater independence and develop their individual identities and value systems. Intellectually they have a growing capacity for reflective and abstract thinking and begin to make decisions about adult roles.

Most students progress satisfactorily during the middle years but it is a time when some students "switch off" from schooling... Real empathy and an understanding of the variety of ways in which young adolescents learn and think is required if we are to meet their needs.' Excellence and innovation, DET 2004