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Middle School

Middle School

Children aged from 12 to 14-years-old

As pupils continue to grow and progress through the School, the Class Teacher now becomes Class Guardian, who alongside Subject Specialist Teachers, teach Main Lessons across the Middle School classes. Subject lessons in Languages, Music, Eurythmy, Handwork, PSHE, Drama, Art, Cooking and Sports continue.

Main Lesson themes continue to be delivered in a logical way, with Literacy and Numeracy constantly and consistently practised. Our dedicated teachers continue to cultivate and encourage creative writing, good grammar and the spoken word, which is showcased by the performance of an annual Class Play.

Main Lesson topics are expanded upon to work in conjunction with each pupil’s personal development. In the History Main Lesson, pupils track civilisation through the Middle Ages and The Renaissance up to modern times. In Geography classes, the learning curve moves from a local emphasis to national, European and then an international focus. In addition, other Main Lesson themes for our older pupils include Botany, Geology, Physics and Economics.

At the end of Class 8, the pupils’ journey with their Class Guardian comes to an end, and they stand equipped with all the learning tools and knowledge required to become part of the Upper School.

Class 6

During Class 6, the curriculum strives to stimulate the child’s growing curiosity about the world they live in. Whilst studying the natural sciences (Geography, Geology, Botany and Physics) the Teacher directs the pupils’ attention to the laws of natural phenomena. For example, in Physics, the class looks at gravity, magnetism, heat, light and sound.

In Geography, the Class investigates and explores the configurations and formations of the Earth’s layers and landmasses, focusing on Europe, her peoples and cultures. The Geology Main Lesson concentrates on discovering the substances and materials of land and studies the varied climates and vegetation round the world.

In History, the children encounter the natural law of cause and effect and their thinking capacity is deepened by categorising subject matter which illustrates how the past can be seen as a meaningful process, leading up to the present day.

The craft syllabus interweaves with the historical subjects through the creation of mosaics based on Roman relics; and the clay modelling of rock and land formations in Geography.

Practical Business Mathematics is studied to help the children begin to understand how the world of business and finance works. The concepts of interest rates, percentages, discounts, exchange, V.A.T. and profit and loss are taught and practically applied as the children plan, produce and sell a product through their own business venture.

English classes continue to build on the study of grammar with the focus moving to direct and indirect speech and verb tenses. The foundations of good essay writing are forged and then applied when describing physics experiments and writing synopses of historical accounts.

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Class 7

The main theme for Class 7 is The Renaissance. Pupils study the transition from Medieval history to The Renaissance which is in keeping with the principle of teaching reflecting each child’s development.

Pupils learn how the geocentric world view of Ptolemy gave way to the heliocentric view of Copernicus, with recognition that in fact the Earth moves around the sun.

The Renaissance Main Lesson gives the pupils a wonderful chance to look at drawing, painting and modelling through the High Renaissance artists Leonardo, Raphael and Michelangelo. To complement this, pupils produce beautiful views of Venice and other artwork pieces reflecting the mood and style of the era.

Other Class 7 Main Lesson themes include Astronomy, the Age of the Explorers, Chemistry and Creative Writing. Nutrition and Hygiene form the basis of an understanding of physiology and investigating the way things work is extended to the inanimate realm with the study of Mechanics and Mechanical Engineering.

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Class 8

Class 8 sees the conclusion of a pupil’s learning journey in the Middle School. The emphasis of our curriculum here is a gathering of subject matters, together with the formalisation of new skills to assist the individual in a more cognitive pursuit of learning.

The Main Lessons are still assisting the pupil’s development towards adulthood with the introduction of great themes of history and economic political events.

The introduction of Economic History and Revolutions help our pupils to gain an awareness of the conflicts through development in which man needs to find balance, for example The British Industrial Revolution and The French Revolution.

In Mathematics, further detail is explored through the development of algebraic formulas and equations, with the incorporation of graphs and statistics. In Geography, the course of mankind’s accomplishments is celebrated through an in-depth appreciation of the Americas and beyond; and in Chemistry and Meteorology classes, the details of processes are observed.

The final stage of the Class journey and the celebration of its experience with the Class Guardian consists of four parts. First, pupils present their year-long project that reflects their interests and demonstrates dedication, discipline, and consistency. Second, the Class play, arising out of the Main Lesson cycles on Language and Literature, showcases their pedagogical learnings. Third, pupils prepare, cook and serve a feast to their parents and teachers. And lastly, welcomed into the Upper School in a transitioning assembly, after saying farewell to their dedicated Class Guardian.

“At The Brighton Waldorf School, each Teacher has an artistic and imaginative approach to learning. Through this process, our curriculum awakens an interest and enthusiasm in each pupil. We strive to breathe life into all academic subjects and support and encourage each pupil to express themselves in a harmonious and creative way.”

Come and see for yourself

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