Enrichment
Overview
Our Enrichment Program is designed to support and challenge students who show exceptional ability and potential across various areas of literacy, numeracy, and personal interests. The program focuses on advancing students’ academic skills, while also nurturing their talents and passions through Choice and Voice sessions where they undertake personal interest projects.
In these sessions, students are given the opportunity to explore topics they are passionate about, fostering creative and critical thinking, leadership skills, and other areas of personal development. The Enrichment Program aims to develop advanced problem-solving skills, higher-order thinking, independent learning, and effective communication in students, ensuring they are prepared to tackle complex challenges and pursue their interests with confidence.
Selection Process
The selection process for our Enrichment Program is multi-faceted and designed to identify students who demonstrate exceptional potential. The following assessments and methods are used to evaluate students for the program:
- PAT Reading and PAT Math’s Assessments: At the start of the year, all students in years 2-5 complete the PAT-R and PAT-M assessments. These assessments evaluate students’ abilities in key academic areas and allow us to compare their performance against year-level expectations. Students’ results are then assigned a stanine score, which ranks them on a scale of 1 to 9, with scores of 7 or above indicating exceptional performance relative to their year level. Students who achieve a stanine score of 7 or above in either or both assessments will be considered for further selection.
- AGAT (Australian Council for Educational Research General Ability Test): Students who score at a stanine of 7 or above in PAT-R or PAT-M assessments will be invited to sit the AGAT. This test assesses general ability and intellect, measuring cognitive skills such as verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning, and abstract reasoning. The stanine scores from the AGAT, along with PAT results, will be considered when evaluating a student’s eligibility for the Enrichment Program. Parents will be notified in advance if their child is selected to sit this test.
- Teacher Judgement and Referrals: Teachers who work closely with students are key in identifying those who show potential beyond formal testing. Teacher recommendations and referrals based on classroom performance, critical thinking, creativity, and leadership are considered in the selection process.
- Personal Interest and Talent Areas: Students who demonstrate exceptional abilities in areas such as creative arts, sports, leadership, or other specialised talents may also be selected for the Enrichment Program. This selection is based on teacher observations of students’ strengths, their ability to excel in these areas, and referrals that highlight their potential for further development and enrichment.
Once selected, parents will receive a letter confirming their child鈥檚 involvement in the Enrichment Program, along with specific details about the area/s their child will focus on. This comprehensive selection process ensures that students are chosen based on a detailed evaluation of their abilities, providing them with the opportunity to fully engage in the program and nurture their individual strengths.
