We are often asked by parents many questions about schooling, teaching and learning and school environments

Over the past 12 months however there has been a shift in parent enquiries.  More often than not we are asked questions along these lines:  "How does the BER (Building and Education Revolution) work for our children?" "Will these fancy new buildings make a difference to our children's learning?"

Some of these new learning spaces created in the new buildings often result in a range of age and grade levels operating in one open area.  Parents are asking us questions such as:   "Our school is implementing a multi-age structure - I am really worried that my child's learning will be compromised."  More recently a parent said to me - "my son is in grade 2 of a prep-2 class grouping.  He is not being extended and other parents are telling me to be prepared for my child to be bored in grade 2!".  

There has also been a shift with the questions from the teachers: "we have been thrust into a large class room of 110 year 6 students who are going crazy."  "The new rooms are big and beautiful, and the furniture is gorgeous but the children are not settled, there is too much noise and we don't know how to teach in this environment."

As with most things there is the good news and the bad news.  The bad news is this type of confusion and concern is not uncommon as we work in 100's of school across the country.  The good news is that many, many schools do not have these issues in their broader school community.  The characteristic defining this good and bad news is the starting point and process of each school in their journey to quality teaching and learning. 

Best practice in this process occurs when leadership within a school lead the school community towards understanding and embracing a whole school teaching and learning philosophy based on values that are validated by theory and research.  Clear understandings of the teaching and learning philosophy being embraced by the school informs the next step of the process: Professional development is provided to teachers, information shared with parents and students so that class structures, learning environments, buildings, furniture and design are then organised around an already well thought through and developed philosophy.

For many schools across the country the BER has provided an environment (a building) as the starting point (the beginning) - when it should have been the end point.  Starting at the end rather than the beginning completely derails the process, discussion and development of philosophy and understanding how to teach!

School leadership dominated by management and administration rather than emphasis and expertise in teaching and learning (pedagogy) also contributes to this disconnect:  a well managed school does not automatically mean quality teaching and learning takes place.  

Kathy and I have been so concerned about the loss of pedagogical leadership in schools that we have dedicated a chapter to pedagogical leadership in our latest book "Engagement Matters.  Personalised learning for grades 3-6".  Intentional and informed leadership in a school is paramount for quality teaching and learning within that school.

The following is a synopsis to help parents gain a better understanding of the key issues related to class structure and environment.  This editorial cannot do justice to these issues however we do provide presentations and consultations to parents and school communities on a broad range of issues including different classroom structures and school environments. 

The key terms used in classroom organisations include:

• Multi age, vertical structure, family groupings
• Composite
• Open classroom
• Team teaching
• Straight or single grade

Research demonstrates that multi-age class structure is a very successful approach when taught by teachers with expertise and experience in this approach; single grades are the next successful and composite is the least successful.  The difficulty arises when schools purport to implement multi-age curriculum but their teaching represents more of a composite structure (i.e. the philosophy and core elements of multi-age are absent).

If a school has more than one grade level in a class we would expect the following:

• The school has a philosophy and commitment to mixed age and ability teaching and learning
• That the teaching and learning is developed according to individual development not chronological age or grade. In composite class structure the children are taught according to their grade level regardless of their ability or development.
• The school has provided professional development and support to teachers in the school or teachers who join the school so all staff understand the philosophy and know how to teach to the multi age approach.
• Children who are the oldest in the mixed age cohort do not become bored, underestimated or held back (this is characteristic of traditional composites)
• Children in a multi-age classroom still have lots of friends to play with and work with; they just have a wider age group as their friendship circle.
• Schools which place children in mixed grade classes primarily for numbers issues without a commitment to the philosophy or without additional professional support to the teacher can lead to stress for the teacher and anxiety for parents.

One of the challenges at the current time is that teachers who have taught in a single class room for most of their career are all of a sudden finding themselves teaching with another teacher or a group of teachers in a shared space:  this is a very different experience and requires unique skills, understandings and experience.  In 2011 this means that the government and schools need to support teachers moving into these spaces.

Some key criteria when children and teachers are sharing large spaces are:

• Home groups: children still require a morning greeting and home space that they perceive as their own and have a sense of belonging. Each day they greet their own home group teacher in their own space. Relationships and a home space are very important for children, particularly in the early years.
• Across the teaching team there is a shared philosophy; teaching and learning strategies and shared behaviour guidance strategies.
• There needs to be cosy corners, break out areas and spaces for privacy (not just huge open areas where everyone is on top of everyone else all of the time).

The key message is that a range of classroom structures are common across Australia and all are effective and produce productive learning if the:

• leadership of the school is clear about the philosophy and direction of the school.
• teaching is rigorous
• teachers are supported with effective and sustained professional development

We see the most amazing pedagogy in schools that literally have almost nothing ... not even a classroom! That quality teaching and learning underpinned by an evidence based whole school philosophy is always paramount - new buildings and furniture are a bonus.... the icing on the cake - not the cake itself. 

Shona Bass