Programs for students having high potential
Research indicates that up to 10-15% of students have the potential to perform at levels significantly beyond what we might expect for their age. Students can have outstanding potential to perform at significantly advanced levels intellectually, cognitively, creatively and in the socio-affective or sensori-motor domains - or in several, or in all. She/He might have natural abilities or aptitudes to be intellectually, physically gifted or gifted in some area of her/his social emotional development.
Students who show high potential in areas, such as Mathematics and English, or the Arts and Physical Education, have extension learning experiences in both the classrooms and specific extension programs. Students can also be nominated by their teachers to take part in specific programs throughout the year. These programs are designed to give children who display outstanding potential an opportunity to work with other 'like-minded' students.
Classroom teachers employ a number of strategies to cater for the wide range of achievement levels of students in classes. They provide a flexible curriculum that addresses different learning styles and rates of learning.
Some key features of programs that particularly cater for students having high potential include:
- Assessment of students' prior knowledge, skills and behaviours to find an appropriate starting place for new learning
- Learning experiences are varied by difficulty to challenge students at different readiness levels, by topic in response to students' interests, and by students' preferred ways of learning or expressing themselves
- Faster paced learning opportunities
- Flexible groupings to allow students having high potential to learn with like-minded peers at a level that is appropriate and challenging
- A degree of choice of independent areas of study and presentation of new learning
- A problem solving approach to learning
- The promotion of creative and critical thinking skills and tasks that involve higher order thinking
- A learning environment where independent learning and complex and abstract thought are encouraged.
To supplement the extension learning that takes place in classrooms, a number of students are nominated by their class teachers to take part in specific programs. These programs are designed to give children who display particular abilities and aptitudes an opportunity to work with other 'like-minded' students.
The students in these groups vary depending on the program. Through assessment and observation, class teachers recommend those students best suited to the particular programs. Over the course of the year the school offers a comprehensive range of learning opportunities in these programs to foster special abilities and to encourage lifelong a love of learning.