Years 5 to 8

This period of schooling, referred to as the middle years, coincides with early adolescence. This is a time when many students are developing rapidly - physically, mentally and emotionally.

Schools have strategies in place for Years 5 to 8 to ensure students are challenged and their literacy and numeracy skills continue to grow. Middle years programs also support the development of relationships between primary schools and secondary schools, to ease the transition of students between the two.

You can prepare for the transition from primary to secondary school by helping your child become increasingly self-reliant while in upper primary school. Slowly increase the child’s responsibility for completing homework, caring for school belongings, and getting to school on time.

Tips for choosing a secondary school can be found in the Department’s booklet ‘Transition - the Journey Continues’, a guide for parents of Year 6 and 7 students.

Transition from primary to secondary school

As part of the transition from Year 6 to Year 7, students in secondary schools participate in an orientation day, often the second Tuesday of December. This may include a school tour, meeting fellow students and teachers, and taking part in special lessons and activities. Check with your local school for details.

Curriculum and assessment

The curriculum requires students to ask more developed and focused questions as well as investigate a variety of issues. Students are encouraged to participate in situations and problems that relate to real life, and to work with their local community and use resources outside their school.

In addition, students are encouraged to identify possible pathways for their future learning, and teachers are on hand to assist with the transition to secondary education.

Victorian Essential Learning Standards - building breadth and depth (Years 5 to 8)

The Victorian Essential Learning Standards describe what students are expected to know and be able to do at this level, and how well they should know and be able to do it.

Level 4 (approximately Years 5 to 6)

Standards are introduced in the remaining domains of Languages other than English (LOTE), History, Geography, Economics and Communication. Students at this level should be able to achieve the full range of knowledge and skills required by the Standards.

Level 5 (approximately Years 7 to 8)

The key characteristics of students at this level include:

• developing self-efficacy skills to maintain confidence and a positive attitude
• developing an individual sense of identity
• having an awareness of universal ethics and morality, culture and nationhood
• shifting from the concrete to the conceptual
• discriminating in terms of value, quality and worth
• developing an awareness of formal methods of inquiry.

For more information, see: Stages of Learning (http://vels.vcaa.vic.edu.au/stages)

National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy Testing (NAPLAN)

The first national tests in literacy and numeracy were conducted in May 2008.

The National Assessment Program - Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) will involve students in Years 3, 5, 7 and 9 from all States and Territories. In Victoria approximately 260,000 students from all Government, Catholic and Independent schools will participate in the program. This program replaces the Achievement Improvement Monitor (AIM) state-wide testing program.

For students, teachers and schools there will be little change from the arrangements in place for the AIM tests, apart from students across Australia sitting identical tests on the same three days. The NAPLAN will be administered at the school level.

For further information, including guidelines, sample tests and material for parents, see: Prep to Year 10 Assessment - National Assessment Program: Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) 2008 on the Department's Student Learning website.

Further information about the testing procedures, see the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority’s National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy Testing (NAPLAN) web pages.

Useful student resources

Primary Students can search websites selected by the Education Channel on the Education Channel primary students resources page 

Secondary Students can search websites selected by the Education Channel on the Education Channel secondary students resources page 

More information

For more information, you can contact the school, see: Schools Online (http://www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/schoolsonline) or Region