Middle Years’ research has indicated that students at this level are often disengaged and benefit from time in different learning situations. Research dating back to the MYRAD project (Middle Years Research and Development Project) focused on the Middle Years (Years 5-9) of schooling and “reveal a strong pattern of under-achievement, and disengagement from school”. That report and others have recommended changes in approach by schools and teachers to Middle Years’ education. Examples of Middle Years programs in Victorian schools include; Timbertop (Geelong Grammar), Marshmead (MLC) and the Education Department’s Alpine School at Dinner Plain. Other schools have built dedicated campuses for Middle Year cohorts within the school.
City Cite, located in the Melbourne CBD, provides an alternative campus and programs that schools can use for a length of time that provides a very different learning environment without the school needing to commit to off campus facilities or dedicated in-school Middle Years’ Centres. This gives the school a flexible approach to meeting the needs of Upper Middle Years’ students.
Why are you coming to City Cite?
The reasons are many, but at the nub of things is to allow students a chance to take greater responsibility for their learning in a less formal environment. They have an opportunity to work in groups to complete multidisciplinary tasks in a real-life context. The city is the classroom. To function efficiently, however, students need clear guidelines and support. It helps greatly when City Cite staff and visiting school staff work closely together in a team teaching manner. If the school values the tasks in which students are actively engaged, it is critical that school staff are fully involved in the program and support the City Cite staff. City Cite staff members know the city. School staff members know the students. As well as being an academic experience, the city experience should have a major emphasis on the development of social skills.
City Cite provides a safe, central starting point and a purpose-built, well-designed space for exploration and reflection. Schools’ and parents’ major concern is for the welfare of the young people in their care. Staff at City Cite help schools design safe, well thought-out programs that allow students to explore the city, become familiar with important institutions and investigate an open ended issue (Rich Task) of current concern. Thorough briefing and preparation of the students before arriving at City Cite leads to safe programs that can yield very powerful learning. Students are given a great deal of freedom to determine where their investigation takes them and how they present their findings.