Academic Excellence 

On Saturday, August 3rd, we held the Edutest for students aiming to join our SEAL program for 2025. It was inspiring to see 67 eager year seven students arriving, ready to undertake rigorous assessments in verbal and numeric reasoning, as well as literacy and numeracy skills.

The SEAL program is designed to challenge and extend students who demonstrate high academic potential. We often receive inquiries from families about whether students entering Years 8 and 9 might qualify for SEAL. While this is sometimes possible, it depends on several criteria. For late entry into SEAL, we use a comprehensive approach that considers three key points:

PAT Testing Data: The PAT test is crucial in evaluating students’ abilities across various subjects, providing a clear picture of their academic strengths.

School Performance: We review students’ academic records and teacher assessments to identify those who consistently perform at a high level and are prepared for the SEAL program’s challenges.

Teacher Recommendations: Teachers' insights into students’ work ethic, behavior, intellectual curiosity, and overall suitability for accelerated learning are invaluable in the selection process.

Throughout the year, we monitor students’ progress, and if we identify someone with significant potential, we may consider them for late entry into the program, depending on available space.

We are also aware that some students might find the SEAL program challenging. In such cases, spending a year in mainstream classes can help build confidence and strengthen foundational skills before potentially rejoining the accelerated pathway. Our goal is to ensure every student is in the best environment for their personal and academic growth.

Acceptance into the SEAL program is contingent upon available spaces. While we strive to accommodate as many deserving students as possible, our priority is to maintain a supportive and effective learning environment. For students not in SEAL but performing above their age’s expected standard, teachers will provide extended opportunities within their current classes.

NATIONAL SCIENCE WEEK

On Monday, August 12th, we had the honor of hosting members of the Medical Research faculty from Monash University, including our SEAL students, as part of Science Week. Led by Professor Stuart Hooper, these doctors and PhD students shared their groundbreaking research on foetal lung development. It was a remarkable experience, and we extend our heartfelt thanks to Professor Hooper and his team for generously sharing their expertise with our students.

Social & emotional learning, student voice & agency, and academic success - how are they interrelated?

A current focus within the SEAL program has been to ensure students are offered sufficient autonomy in their learning. In Humanities, Ms. Amy Hirth constructed rich open-ended learning activities where students could choose their own way of presenting their projects on liveability. In English, student have been willing participants in various classroom activities that foster engagement and peer collaboration, providing feedback on specific teaching strategies trialed. This in turn was shared in the form of a short Professional Learning for the English Domain.

Students have also been heavily involved in co-construction of their assessment tasks and rubrics, explaining how they wish to show evidence of their learning and providing feedback on the parameters of the assessment guidelines. It is essential that our SEAL students have agency in the classroom and can see how their voice shapes the way in which teaching and learning takes place. This fosters high levels of engagement which in turn contributes to academic success. 

By taking a holistic approach to academic excellence, we aim to also cultivate critical thinking, problem-solving abilities, and emotional intelligence among students.

Drawing from pioneering research by scholars like Carol Dweck and Norman Doidge, we understand that academic success is deeply intertwined with mindset and neuroplasticity. Encouraging a growth mindset, teaching effective learning strategies, and fostering emotional resilience are pivotal in nurturing cognitive development during the formative teenage years. Our high ability students often need additional support with social and emotional intelligence as they navigate their schooling. Gifted students often have perfectionist tendencies or be serial procrastinators. They can struggle with setbacks or construct unachievable targets and it becomes imperative that we ensure our teaching and learning offers sufficient support, as well as plenty of rigour and challenge for our cohort. 

To further consolidate their understanding of gifted education, the SEAL Science team recently visited Suzanne Cory High School to discuss aspects of their pedagogical model and learn from staff at this select-entry school. I look forward to sharing ideas with the wider SEAL team later this term and integrating some new ideas into our program.   

What can parents do to support this journey towards academic excellence? It begins with cultivating positive habits, fostering curiosity, and instilling persistence in young learners. By modeling these values and collaborating closely with educators to celebrate achievements and navigate challenges, families play a vital role in building resilience and shaping lifelong learners.

Laura Washington

Leader of Academic Excellence Program