A School Schedule that Promotes Well-Being and Engagement
At Lakefield College School, our daily schedule is intentionally designed around how teenagers learn best and places our students at its centre. A student-centred learning schedule must help deliver the learning outcomes outlined in our strategic plan by maximizing engaged learning time, facilitating student well-being, adding flexibility and choice, and providing more opportunities for authentic learning. Every aspect of the school day—from longer class periods and fewer courses at one time to built-in reflection, movement, and community time—supports deeper engagement, healthier learning habits, and student wellbeing.
No school schedule is perfect, but thoughtful design can create more opportunities for students to learn deeply while developing healthy rhythms that support both academic success and personal wellbeing.
Student Well-Being
As rising levels of adolescent stress continue to be documented, schools have an important responsibility to create learning environments that support teenagers both academically and personally.
While positive stress can improve performance, we know that high levels of negative stress actually impede higher level understanding and memory. Rather than dividing their attention among many subjects every day, Lakefield students typically focus on three courses at a time. This allows them to immerse themselves more fully in their learning while reducing the fragmented thinking that often accompanies a traditional timetable.
Fewer simultaneous courses can also help reduce periods when major assignments, tests, and projects compete for students' attention all at once. Instead, students have more time to think deeply, seek support from their teachers, and establish healthier study habits. Better balance often leads to better sleep, stronger wellbeing, and improved learning.
Our schedule also intentionally builds in meaningful breaks throughout the day. Grove Time and time between classes give students opportunities to step outside, connect with friends, seek extra help from teachers, participate in enrichment, or simply pause and recharge before beginning their next class. Research consistently shows that these opportunities for movement and recovery are an important part of effective learning—not time taken away from it.
Making Better Use of Academic Time
Every classroom transition comes with a cognitive cost. Each time students shift from one subject to another, they need time to refocus, organize their thinking, and fully engage in new learning. By reducing the number of class transitions during the day and extending learning periods, students spend more of their day immersed in meaningful learning rather than preparing for it.
Creating Time for Authentic Learning
Authentic learning experiences—whether they involve field research, design thinking, community partnerships, or outdoor education—require time.
Longer class periods provide students and teachers with the flexibility to investigate complex questions, collaborate on meaningful projects, and extend learning beyond the classroom through experiential opportunities. Whether conducting fieldwork, developing innovative solutions, or engaging with community partners, students have the time to get outside and off-campus to encounter real-world problems and applications, which has a significant number of pedagogical advantages. In Outdoor Education, we have scheduled longer classes for this reason for years.
Greater Flexibility and Personalized Pathways.
Our modular schedule also creates greater flexibility for students as they progress through high school. Because courses are completed throughout the year rather than all at once in June, students may have opportunities to advance into senior-level courses earlier, personalize their academic pathways, and pursue areas of interest that match their goals and aspirations.
Combined with cycled learning, our modular schedule creates a thoughtful rhythm of learning, reflection, and recall. Students revisit courses across multiple modules, reinforcing understanding over time while maintaining a manageable academic workload.
Ultimately, our schedule reflects a simple belief: when teenagers have the time to think deeply, build healthy routines, connect with others, and engage fully in their learning, they are better prepared to thrive—both at Lakefield and long after they leave The Grove.