We ahve already visited a couple of P-12 schools. Laverton was our first visit which is purpose built with open learning spaces. They are operating with three learning communities; P-4, 5-8 and 9-12. At the moment only P-8 are working in the open learning spaces as the building for the 9-12 has not been completed yet. They are due to move in within the next couple of weeks.
At Laverton the 5-8 learning community operates more on a primary school model as they believe the 5 & 6's are not yet ready for a secondary style education. This was reinforced a couple of weeks later when we visited Narre Warren who have this year started operating more as Primary and a Secondary school on the same site. They originally had a 5-8 learning community operating on a secondary style format but they found the younger students just weren't coping.
This is in the 5-8 learning space at Laverton. Students are encouraged to work where they feel comfortable in the space. They have deliberately not put in enough chairs and tables for every student so they do move around the open space.
