Newman Selective
Newman - Gifted Education News
What does the Newman program look like at St Patrick’s Catholic Primary School?
At our school, the Newman program is a whole school approach that embeds highly effective practices and strategies across all subject areas and grades. We aim at identifying the many gifts and talents of our students and respond by catering for their individual needs. The Newman program allows gifted students to participate in flexible interest groups and participate in a differentiated classroom curriculum that is engaging and challenging. Our school offers a wide range of opportunities that cater for a variety of gifted learners and supports students’ social and emotional wellbeing.
We believe that quality gifted education is a whole school approach - the role of the school’s leadership team, teachers, parents, students and wider community all play a valued role in developing and nurturing the child. The Newman principles not only benefit students identified as gifted, but indeed all students.
Newman is not a program that is solely set on withdrawing students by particular teachers for extension work. Newman is a whole school initiative that provides students with opportunities to reach their potential and nurture their love of learning.
This is done in various ways at St Patrick's; flexible grouping options to support grade and stage differentiation, off level testing which informs entry levels and effective programming, various interest based groups running across the school, competitions across the school and school cluster groups and many more opportunities. We are proud to be a school working in partnership with students, teachers, parents and the wider community to ensure the optimal development of our students across various domains.
All teachers at our school are vigilant in the processes involved in identifying strengths, tracking and analysing data and continually ensuring that students are challenged to achieve excellence through an authentic and rigorous curriculum based on our whole school vision for learning. Teachers are skilled in providing learners with a curriculum that is differentiated in pace, depth and degree of complexity.
Enrichment opportunities that are currently running or will commence soon include; STEM (Years 3-6), Future Problem Solving (Years 1-3), Newman Art, Newman Dance, Newman Drama, Maths Olympiad (Yrs 5 & 6), Maths Games (Yrs 4-5), Maths Explorer (Year 3) and a Podcast group.
Newman Selective Gifted Education Program Year 7, 2026
Parents, please read the information related to the Newman Secondary Selective Gifted Education Program for students entering Year 7 in 2026.
How do I apply for a Secondary Newman Selective Gifted Education Program school?
All applications for enrolment to Sydney Catholic Schools are processed in accordance with the SCS Enrolment Policy. In order to apply for placement within a Newman Selective Gifted Education Program Secondary class/cluster, students must first be enrolled in the school.
Parents are encouraged to visit prospective feeder Secondary schools during Open Days or view school websites online for information relating to enrolment. If the Secondary school is a Newman Selective Gifted Education Program school, information about their program may also be available.
Who is able to be nominated for a placement in a Secondary Newman Selective class/cluster?
Once your child has been enrolled in a Secondary Newman Selective Gifted Education Program school, you will be informed of an opportunity to nominate your child to apply for a placement in the Newman Selective classes/clusters. This involves the submission of a Parent Nomination form and includes your child’s participation in the Newman Selective Higher Ability Assessment.
Please access the following link for more information: Newman Expansion: FAQs_2024
Kim Hill - Newman Coordinator