Students

Recognizing the necessity of examining the needs of early adolescents and changing the focus of middle grades education in Australia, this report describes the findings from the Northcote Network of Schools, 8 primary and 2 secondary schools collaborating to develop continuity and coherence across grades 5 through 8. The paper outlines activities dealing with school organization, curriculum, and pedagogy, in the context of the unique needs of young adolescents and their implications for school organization and learning communities within schools. School organizational structures tried by the Northcote Network of Schools are noted, including team teaching, classes working with smaller numbers of students for longer periods of time, the use of home rooms, an integrative approach to curriculum, and appropriate learning strategies. The paper also describes how curricular concerns led to the implementation of healt