St Andrew's Cathedral School

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Gifted Education programme

Gifted and talented students are recognised as having unique educational needs and are catered for in order that their learning outcomes are optimised.

At St Andrew’s Cathedral School we seek to ensure that every learner is challenged intellectually and enjoys a wide range of opportunities that enhance achievement.

We meet the needs of all our students through the process of differentiated instruction and therefore we believe it is important to develop the talents of academically gifted students, just as we do any other student who may possess sporting, musical or other talents.

Gifted and talented students are recognised as having unique educational needs and are catered for in order that their learning outcomes are optimised.

We recognise the need to cater for gifted and talented students within an inclusive cohort and aim to provide specialised educational programmes and opportunities. 

Françoys Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) forms the central conceptual understanding of giftedness at St Andrew’s Cathedral School – gifted, the student’s potential; and talent–developed and witnessed through outstanding achievement and performance. The use of the DMGT as the foundation of our programme allows for an understanding that giftedness is diverse, can include a range of abilities and should be nourished and developed through a range of programmes and provisions.

Developmentally appropriate programmes for our high potential and gifted and talented students incorporate a combination of grouping strategies, enrichment, interventions, acceleration and social-emotional support. 

Gifted identification and assessment

We use school-wide, continuous data collection as well as a range of identification methods to ensure we correctly identify our High Potential and Gifted and Talented students.

Selection of students for Accelerated classes in the Junior School, and Extension classes in the Middle School, and/or cluster groups follow a criteria-based procedure, where a panel of staff carefully consider data gathered from parents, students and staff alongside academic records from semester-based school-wide screening. Several standardised, achievement and performance tests are utilised within the class placement process and are components considered by the Junior School and Senior School Gifted and Talented Committees for placement. Full psychometric assessments, provided by registered psychologists, provide valuable information in the development of a student profile, and parents are urged to provide the school with such information if it becomes available.

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