Throughout 2020 the College undertook a review of its current timetable structure. In Term 1 this year, the College Leadership Team endorsed a change of the timetable structure for 2022 from the current six 50-minute periods per day to a five 60-minute period per day timetable. Across the next three Newsletters, information regarding the rationale for the change, the College’s new Instructional Teaching Model and timetable times and structure will be disseminated.

The purpose of this Newsletter article is to provide some context regarding rationale behind the change to the Timetable structure for 2022. Before making recommendations regarding a change to the College Timetable both educational literature and the findings of the 2019 School Review were addressed. Educational literature in the areas of increasing student engagement, improving student outcomes, increasing academic rigor and refining consistency in teacher pedagogy were used as the basis of informing this change. Some of the key findings from a review of the research are noted below:

• A school scheduling system must be well thought out to make a significant impact on the academic achievement of students (Olsen, 2020)
• A school schedule that is well thought out can result in more effective use of time, and school resources, improve the teaching and learning climate and assist in establishing desired instructional practices (Canady and Rettig, 1995)
• Spaced lessons over multiple days has an effect size of 0.71 on student achievement, compared with massed practice which has an effect size of 0.41 (Hattie, 2009)
• More contact with teachers provides greater opportunities for feedback to be provided to students (Hattie, 2009)
• Repeated or multiple opportunities to be exposed, encounter, engage or elaborate with content and knowledge provides greater opportunity for deep learning to occur (Hattie, 2009)
• Increased exposure to teachers across the course of a week, term or Semester increases the relationship developed between teachers and students (Armstrong, 2006; Dickinson, 2001)
• Students cannot stay focused for longer periods of time, and knowledge retention diminishes if classes do not occur on a regular basis (Bowman, 1998)
• A shorter length of class time can be more conducive to the attention span of adolescents (Roberts, 2016)
• If the day is less taxing for students, there may be a range of positive consequences such as reduced stress, improved morale and fewer behavioural concerns (Morton, 2021)
• Student productivity is higher in the morning compared to the afternoon (Pope, 2016)

Supporting the educational literature, the School Review highlighted improving the quality of learning and teaching across the school was a high priority. However, the review noted that students felt that stimulating learning environments within the classroom could be improved. The review identified that there was a variety of contemporary teaching strategies being used across the school, but consistency in these strategies across all subjects and teachers was required, with examples such as Learning Intentions and Success Criteria being highlighted as important to deploy across all classrooms.

It is anticipated that the change to five 60-minute periods in 2022 will lead to increased levels of student achievement and engagement in classes, higher expectations of students within classes and an increase in academic rigor. Additionally, the timetable change will result in an increased frequency of contact between students and teachers across the cycle and the ability to minimise interruptions of learning in classes due to College events and co-curricular activities. The timetable change also allows for greater flexibility of scheduling practical and theory lessons across the cycle, increased opportunity for students and teachers to build positive relationships and greater opportunity to review curriculum and skills taught in previous lessons.

More information regarding the College’s Instructional Teaching Model and period allocations for each subject will be provided in forthcoming Newsletters. Should you have any questions about the 2022 timetable change, please do not hesitate to contact a member of the College’s Learning & Teaching Team.