YEAR 7 TRANSITION FRAMEWORK Artworks by Aurora learners
Making Learning Visible: Our Shared Framework This Transition Framework outlines Aurora’s approach as students move from Year 6 (Grade 5 - Primary) into Year 7 (Grade 6 - Middle School). This document is written for both families and educators because we see education as a shared journey. At Aurora: •
Families are valued partners who bring deep knowledge of their children
•
Learning is guided by the Reggio Emilia Educational Project and the New Zealand Curriculum (NZC)
•
Understanding grows through conversation, documentation, and making learning visible
For educators, this framework supports consistency, coherence, and clear progression across the transition into Middle School. At the heart of our approach is the image of the learner described by Loris Malaguzzi — a learner who is strong, capable, curious, and full of potential. This image continues to shape: •
curriculum design
•
learning environments
•
relationships
•
assessment and progression
YEAR 7 AS THE FIRST YEAR OF MIDDLE SCHOOL What this means for your child Year 7 marks the beginning of your child’s Middle School experience at Aurora. This year is intentionally designed to: •
consolidate the strong foundations developed throughout Primary
•
support students in adapting to new expectations
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develop increasing independence, responsibility, and depth of thinking
Students are not expected to suddenly “change” how they learn. Instead, they are supported to: •
build on their existing strengths
•
grow in independence and ownership
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engage with more complex thinking
Year 7 is best understood as a transition within Middle School, rather than an abrupt change in expectations. Students bring with them strong foundations in: •
inquiry and critical thinking
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communication and expression
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collaboration and social awareness
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increasing independence and responsibility
In Year 7, these are extended through: •
deeper thinking
•
more complex ideas and concepts
•
greater independence in learning
This reflects Aurora’s commitment to: •
learning as a progression over time
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a coherent and connected learning journey across year levels
HOW STUDENT LEARN IN YEAR 7 AT AURORA Intentional Teaching within a Reggio Emilia-Informed Approach Our teachers act as expert facilitators, introducing new knowledge, concepts and skills with clarity and purpose to provide the necessary scaffolding for deeper inquiry. By modeling complex thinking and structures, they guide students through a continuous cycle of feedback and reflection, ensuring that every academic challenge is met with the right balance of support and independence. Learning at Aurora is a purposeful and connected experience that bridges academic rigor with real-world relevance. We ensure that our curriculum remains responsive to student thinking, evolving as new questions and ideas emerge from the classroom. This approach transforms the learning journey into a dynamic exchange where discovery is always grounded in clear educational goals. Students continue to learn through a Reggio Emilia-informed approach, adapted for Middle School. At Aurora, Reggio Emilia is not a programme, it is a way of understanding learning.
In Year 7, this includes: •
Learners as capable, proactive, and thoughtful
Students contribute ideas, ask questions, and challenge thinking •
Learning through relationships
Understanding develops through collaboration and dialogue •
The 100 Languages of learners
Students express ideas through writing, discussion, visuals, and design •
Learning made visible
Thinking is shared through feedback, discussion, and student projects. Learning is looked at as a journey and progress is cherished. •
The environment as the third teacher
Students develop understanding and exploration when interacting with nature and the particularly designed learning environment. •
Teachers as co-constructors of knowledge
Teachers guide and extend learning, supporting students to deepen their thinking
HOW LEARNING DEEPENS IN YEAR 7 What this means for your child Learning continues to be: •
inquiry-based
•
collaborative
•
connected to real-world contexts
•
Informed by student’s curiosity
As students work within New Zealand Curriculum Levels 3 and 4, expectations deepen. This is not about doing more, but about: •
thinking more deeply
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making stronger connections across ideas and concepts
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applying understanding in more complex contexts
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working with greater independence and developing leadership potential
You may see: •
Inquiry as investigation
Students explore complex concepts such as systems, fairness, and innovation •
Dialogue and discussion
Students question, explain, and refine their thinking •
Multiple ways of expressing ideas
Students communicate through writing, visuals, and presentations across platforms and digital media •
Learning over time
Ideas are revisited, refined, and strengthened
THE STRUCTURE OF LEARNING IN YEAR 7 What this means for your child Learning remains grounded in relationships and inquiry, while increasing in depth, complexity, and independence. For example, a Year 7 class might explore a global issue such as fast fashion by asking questions like: “Where do our clothes come from?” and “What happens before we buy them?” Students might: •
research the journey of clothing
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create simple system maps (factory -> transport -> shop -> customer)
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identify challenges or impacts at each stage
Drawing on a Reggio Emilia approach and educational project learning, they may express their thinking through: •
visual representations
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diagrams
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discussion and shared thinking
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multiple perspectives (entrepreneurs, workers, consumers)
They may then apply their learning by writing a newspaper article explaining the issue and why it matters. This kind of learning supports students to: •
think more deeply and critically about complex ideas
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make connections across systems
•
communicate their understanding with increasing clarity
HOMEROOM: ADVISORY AND CORE LEARNING Each student is supported by a Homeroom Teacher, who is central to both their learning and wellbeing. The Homeroom Teacher plays an important and central role in each learner’s schooling experience. They lead advisory and pastoral care, build strong relationships with students and families. Homeroom teachers monitor academic progress, social development, and supporting each child as a whole learner throughout their year. Homeroom teachers also teach English and Social Sciences, often integrating these areas through inquiry. This allows students to explore big ideas and real-world issues, develop literacy within meaningful contexts, and deepen their sense of personal identity and understanding of the world around them.
SPECIALIST SUBJECTS Students are also taught by specialist teachers in Mathematics (including business studies), Science, Music, Visual Art, Health and Physical Education, and Languages. This allows students to benefit from subject-specific expertise, develop deeper content knowledge, and experience learning across a range of contexts and disciplines.
LANGUAGE LEARNING JOURNEY Language learning at Aurora is understood as a deeply relational, cultural, and intellectual journey through which learners construct meaning, express identity, and participate within a diverse community of dialogue, research, and encounter. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia Educational Project, language is viewed not merely as a tool for communication, but as one of the many symbolic languages through which children investigate theories, negotiate relationships, interpret experiences, and represent their understandings of the world.
Learners holding a Vietnamese passport participate in daily Vietnamese learning in alignment with Vietnamese national curriculum requirements, guided by qualified specialist educators. Japanese learners engage in a daily Japanese programme that supports continuity of language, literacy, cultural identity, and connection to heritage. In addition, all learners participate in weekly Spanish learning experiences, encouraging openness toward multilingualism, intercultural dialogue, and global perspectives. Learners who are not enrolled in the Vietnamese or Japanese programmes receive specialised support in English language enrichment alongside an introduction to Vietnamese language and culture. This integrated approach recognises that language
development emerges through
relationships, participation, and meaningful engagement within social and cultural contexts. Through everyday encounters, collaborative inquiry, and shared experiences, learners strengthen academic English while cultivating a deeper sense of belonging and connection to the cultural life of their host country. At Aurora, language learning is not approached as
an
isolated
subject
area,
but
rather
as an interdisciplinary and lived experience woven throughout inquiry, documentation, research, and collaboration.
Educators intentionally create environments that invite listening, dialogue,
interpretation, and multiple forms of expression, enabling learners to communicate their thinking in authentic, reflective, and meaningful ways. Language therefore becomes both a medium for learning and a space for encounter — where ideas, identities, and perspectives are exchanged, challenged, and transformed through relationships with others. Overall, the language learning journey at Aurora seeks to nurture confident communicators, reflective thinkers, and culturally responsive global citizens who value both their own identities and the diverse perspectives of others within an interconnected and evolving world.
THE FIVE DIMENSIONS OF LEARNING AND GROWTH IN YEAR 7 Learning at Aurora is understood through interconnected dimensions, rather than isolated subjects. These dimensions are: •
Drawn from the NZC learning areas and key competencies (skills)
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Shaped by a Reggio Emilia Experience understanding of holistic learning
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Designed to make learning visible, transferrable and connected for families
1. Literacy & Communication Language as a tool for thinking, analysis, and expression 2. Mathematics & Logical Thinking Mathematics as a way of understanding patterns, systems, and relationships 3. Inquiry & Systems Thinking Inquiry as structured, critical exploration of complex ideas 4. Social & Emotional Development Learning as relational and grounded in identity, belonging, and growth 5. Creative & Physical Expression The 100 Languages: expressing thinking through multiple forms
ACADEMIC GROWTH WITHOUT LOSING INQUIRY What this means for your child In Year 7, students embrace increasing academic challenges while we continue to champion their natural curiosity and creativity. Our approaches to learning and teaching ensure that as the curriculum deepens, their engagement with learning remains at the heart of the Middle School experience.
OBSERVING AND SUPPORTING PROGRESS What this means for your child Progress is understood through: •
student work and projects
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discussion and feedback
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ongoing formative and summative assessments
Assessment at Aurora is not a single event. It is part of a connected learning process. Learning is supported through a clear and coherent cycle: Curriculum --> Planning --> Teaching --> Evidence -->Reporting This ensures: •
clarity and consistency in learning expectations
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meaningful, evidence-based assessment
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a clear sense of progression over time
Assessment is used to: •
inform teaching
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support growth
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not label or compare students
HOW FAMILIES CAN SUPPORT LEARNING Families play a vital role in supporting this transition. You can support your child by: •
encouraging discussion and reflection
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supporting organisation and independence
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valuing effort and growth
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maintaining routines that support wellbeing
IN PARTNERSHIP This framework reflects Aurora’s commitment to a coherent learning progression, ensuring each student’s journey is seamless and well supported as they grow. At the heart of our approach are strong relationships, built on trust and open communication between home and school. Together, we
support
students
to
grow
in
confidence,
think deeply, and engage with
increasingly complex ideas. Our aim is to nurture learners who are curious, reflective, and ready to contribute meaningfully to the world around them.
AURORA INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF THE ARTS 11 - 11A - 13 - 15 - 15A Tran Ngoc Dien Street, An Khanh Ward, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. +84 (028) 3744 2991 | info@auroraschool.vn | www.auroraschool.vn