Built for the Way They Learn: Oakbrook’s New Intermediate and Middle School Experience
There is a difference between creating a school schedule and designing a school day around the students who experience it.
At Oakbrook Preparatory School, we believe the way students learn, grow, and develop should shape the way we teach them. That thinking is behind Oakbrook’s new Intermediate School experience for grades 5–6 and Middle School experience for grades 7–8.
The new model recognizes something parents already know: a fifth grader and an eighth grader are in very different developmental stages. Each needs challenge, independence, relationships, enrichment, and support—but not always in the same way or at the same time.
An Intentional Bridge for Grades 5–6
Fifth and sixth grade are important transition years. Students are ready for greater independence, but they still benefit from the consistency and close relationships of the elementary years.
Oakbrook’s new Intermediate School is designed to provide that bridge.
Students move between two core academic teachers, gradually learning to navigate different teachers, expectations, and classrooms without immediately making the transition to a fully departmentalized Middle School schedule.
In the afternoon, students move into enrichment opportunities such as PE, dance, art, chorus, and other electives. While students explore interests and develop talents beyond their core academic subjects, their teachers have dedicated time for individual and team planning—collaborating, sharing observations, and supporting one another as they respond to students’ needs.
The result is a structure that provides both increasing independence and intentional support.
It also brings several elements of The Oakbrook Way together: Igniting Minds through strong academics, Integrating Enrichment through arts and physical activity, and Fostering Relationships through a teaching model designed to help students feel known and supported.
A Different Rhythm for Grades 7–8
By seventh and eighth grade, students are ready for another step toward independence.
Our Middle School students rotate among four core academic teachers, experiencing greater academic specialization and learning to manage the responsibilities that will prepare them for Upper School.
But Oakbrook has also reconsidered when different parts of learning happen.
Seventh- and eighth-grade students begin their day with enrichment classes before moving into their core academic courses.
That decision reflects what research tells us about adolescent development. During puberty, changes in circadian rhythms naturally shift adolescents toward later sleep and wake times, which can make early mornings more challenging. The American Academy of Pediatrics has documented this biological shift, and broader research has associated later starts with improved developmental outcomes.
Rather than assuming every age learns best on exactly the same schedule, Oakbrook has intentionally considered the rhythm of the students’ day.
Beginning with enrichment gives seventh- and eighth-grade students an opportunity to arrive, move, create, engage, and connect before transitioning into the concentrated work of their core academic classes.
It is a practical expression of Encouraging Balance, Integrating Enrichment, and Igniting Minds—recognizing that academics, creativity, physical well-being, relationships, and personal development all contribute to educating the whole child.
FLEX: Building Independence With Support
The Middle and Upper School day now ends with another intentional addition: FLEX.
FLEX gives students in grades 5 through 12 something increasingly valuable as their academic responsibilities grow—dedicated time to learn how to manage those responsibilities well.
Students can begin homework, study independently or with classmates, meet with a teacher for extra help, ask questions about material they may not fully understand, or receive additional academic support.
For students who participate in athletics, FLEX also provides greater flexibility for early dismissal on game days without routinely sacrificing core academic instruction.
But FLEX is about more than finishing homework.
It’s about learning how to learn.
Students practice managing their time. They learn when and how to ask for help. They discover study strategies that work for them. They experience both independent and collaborative learning. And they develop those skills while teachers are still nearby to guide them.
These are the habits students will increasingly need in Upper School, college, and beyond.
Through Shaping Leaders, Fostering Relationships, and Encouraging Balance, Oakbrook is giving students greater responsibility while making sure independence doesn’t mean navigating challenges alone.
Designed With Purpose
For Head of School R. Andrew Bell, the changes reflect a larger commitment to educating students according to their developmental needs.
“The Oakbrook Way calls us to be intentional about how we educate the whole child. Fifth and sixth graders have different developmental needs than seventh and eighth graders, and our program should reflect that. We want to challenge students academically while giving them the relationships, enrichment, support, and increasing independence they need at each stage. This new structure allows us to meet students where they are while intentionally preparing them for where they’re going.”— R. Andrew Bell, Head of School
That progression is intentional.
Two core teachers become four. Supported transitions become greater independence. Enrichment is placed purposefully within the school day. FLEX creates space for students to practice managing their own learning while help is still close at hand.
Because preparing students for what comes next doesn’t mean rushing them there.
It means understanding where they are now, what they need at this age and stage, and how to help them take the next step with confidence.
That’s The Oakbrook Way.
A schedule can tell you how a school organizes its day. A visit lets you see why it matters. Come meet our teachers, visit our Intermediate and Middle School classrooms, and see how Oakbrook combines challenging academics, meaningful enrichment, strong relationships, growing independence, and intentional support.