South Padbury Primary School staff collaborate to identify select students that would benefit from special programs, and provide an Enrichment teacher to plan, teach and assess these special programs (through withdrawal) to challenge and extend our gifted and talented students in Years 2-6.
Using the current research from Gagné (2009), we identify gifted children as having natural abilities or aptitudes at levels significantly further beyond what is expected for their age. Giftedness is a measure of potential and may not be linked to current performance. These gifts can be in one or more domains.
Talented children have high achievement at a level significantly beyond their expected age. Gagné suggests that approximately 10% of a cohort contains gifted and talented children.
The diversity of gifted students means that there may be some who also have specific disorders such as Dyslexia or ADHD which may also impact their learning and achievement. These students are referred to as twice exceptional (2E).
It is widely recognised that underachievement in gifted students can occur. This is where the student’s potential does not match their achievement. There may be a number of intrapersonal, environmental and developmental catalysts which can affect this.
At South Padbury PS gifted and talented students may be catered for in the following ways:
- Differentiated class work
- Ability groupings which may also be multi-age
- Subject acceleration
- Compaction of the curriculum
- Special programs (withdrawal with Enrichment Program Coordinator)
- Competitions/ initiatives
- Utilisation as experts and/or mentors
- PEAC/ EYE programs
Enrichment groups have been involved in some of the following activities:
- Formulation of programs based on needs of students in critical and creative thinking using the SCSA critical and creative thinking continuum
- Community-based art projects (Hart My Neighbourhood and Soaring)
- Passion projects based on student interest and guided by the Williams Model to frame their inquiry process
- Enrolment in national/ international competitions (Prime Minister’s Spelling Bee, NMREO Art competition, Bebras International Computational Thinking Challenge)
- School Toilets Project with the help of artist Paul Deej
Many of the projects undertaken reflect our school’s Moral Purpose of ‘Be the Change’.
Please see our Enrichment Policy and supporting documents below.
