A gifted education program has expanded to St Ursula’s College Kingsgrove, giving students the opportunity to experience higher level studies.
The school has become part of the Newman Selective Gifted Education program.
Four high schools in the region now offer the higher ability assessment, which is designed to provide a continual gifted education pathway for students at Sydney Catholic schools.
The test was developed by Sydney Catholic Schools with the Australian Council for Educational Research.
It focuses on four key skill areas including abstract, verbal and quantitative reasoning, and written expression.
Unlike admission into the state’s selective schools, the test results form only part of the selection process.
Samples of a students’ work, data including test results from their primary schools, and evidence of gifted talent submitted by parents give an overall views of abilities.
Our Lady of Fatima’s Newman facilitator Claude Tarazi said the program provided students with extension opportunities in science, maths, history, geography and religious education, to encourage high order thinking skills from kindergarten through to year 6.
“As a primary school we have a whole range of information about the child,” he said.
“By being able to pass it on to the high school, they don’t have to start from scratch.
“They already have a profile of the students’ interests and needs, test results and achievement levels so they are better able to cater for their educational needs.”