Everything we do at Boundless Education is intentional. An integral part of our mission to change the future of education is to personalise the learning journey of our students - our ‘Explorers’. Multi-age classes create optimal conditions to realise these goals.

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What is a multi-age class?

A multi-age class is the purposeful grouping of students of different ages to form learning communities. As opposed to the traditional model of dividing students according to the year they were born, a multi-age class is composed of multiple age groups in one environment. Students learn both independently and from each other while progressing at their own pace along their own learning path. The Boundless educator facilitates learning through observation, guiding and of course, direct teaching.

“Education is a journey, not a race”. - Rudolph Steiner

Traditional education assumes that all students in the class are at the same point in their learning journeys. It places children of the same age in the same classroom, working on the same learning outcomes at the same time. If this sounds repetitive – it can be.

In multi-age groupings, children build respect, academic achievement, socio-emotional development, acceptance, kindness, confidence, and adult-child relationships. Together with their classmates, they develop critical 21st-century skills such as collaboration, conflict resolution, communication, initiative, leadership, and flexibility. Multi-age classes place learners at the centre of their educational journey.

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What are the age groupings at Boundless Education?

Our Explorers are grouped as follows across all Boundless Life Education Centres.

Lower Exploration: Ages 1-3

Upper Exploration: Ages 4-6

Lower Foundation: Ages 7-9

Upper Foundation: Ages 10-12

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Students as Learners and Leaders

When older children start mastering skills, concepts and knowledge, they get to share their learning with their younger peers. There needs to be a deep, enduring understanding of a concept to have the confidence to teach it. This act also contributes to building leadership skills as older students learn to manage younger peers and solve problems while teaching or asking for support. These are vital skills needed in further education, real life and in the workforce. By developing this skill in the younger years, it becomes part of a student’s educational DNA. 

For younger students, to be able to look up to and learn from older peers (who many idolise) brings them independence and security. This serves them as they grow by giving them the confidence to question others and to stand up for themselves. Mutual respect reduces the instances of bullying as kids get to know each other and work and play together. As the younger students grow and become the ‘older kids’, their roles in the Education Centre develop, enhancing their confidence and self-worth as they grow into a position to help and support the newest ‘younger ones’. 

We have had the great privilege of witnessing countless instances of older students taking younger children “under their wing” and the mutual benefits and joy this brings to our learning spaces.

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A personal learning journey 

Being in mixed-age groups also makes a learning journey truly personalised. Children do not look at each other’s ages and say “Oh! You’re five and can't read your numbers”. In an environment where there are many levels of teaching and learning happening at the same time, the differences between students aren't highlighted. Through their observations, assessment and record-keeping, our Boundless educators can identify and address each child's needs at their own level. They can give them the support they need to take them to the next level of understanding as opposed to teaching a whole class of similarly aged students the same thing, at the same time. 

Even though the educator is closely following where a child is on his/her learning journey, the child has the freedom to direct their learning by mastering basic skills, concepts and knowledge before moving on to the next stage. 

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Education is about relationships 

One of the key advantages of mixed-age classes is the student/educator bond. When an educator follows a child's educational journey so closely, a deep understanding of a child's individual needs develops. This strengthens the relationship between them. The personalised journey also engenders respect between the two, as the educator guides the child along their educational journey at a pace that is challenging enough to promote advancement but also attainable enough. 

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Summary: The benefits of multi-age groups

✅ Older children serve as role models. They model positive behaviour and develop a sense of responsibility.

✅ Younger children are inspired by older children. Watching older students engage in more advanced activities can inspire and motivate younger students (our Boundless educators see this every day!).

✅ Pairing opportunities: Older children can be paired with younger children to assist them with various activities AND if a younger child shows eagerness to learn a skill that may seem too advanced for their age, like reading, they can be paired with an older child who is also learning to read. This is how we approach personalised learning - allowing each child to progress at their own pace and follow their interests.

✅ This approach allows for strong bonds to form between the student and their educator as they work collaboratively to navigate a very personalised learning path. 

✅ Multi-age classes support a family-like environment, where children feel a sense of belonging and develop positive relationships across age groups, enhancing their overall educational experience.

✅ Children foster an innate sense of inclusivity as they learn to appreciate and respect differences in age, abilities, and backgrounds.

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Want to learn more about multi-age classes and all the other wonderful benefits of Boundless Education? Hop on a call with us!