Newman Selective Gifted Education Program

At Our Lady Star of the Sea, gifted education is not about giving students more work, it is about ensuring every child has access to learning that is meaningful, challenging, and tailored to their needs. While specialist Newman programs and enrichment opportunities provide valuable extension, the foundation of gifted education lies in the everyday classroom.

Our teachers differentiate learning so that high-potential and gifted students are not only extended, but deeply engaged. In practice, this can look like:

• Curriculum compacting- Students who already understand a concept may move ahead or explore it in more depth.
• Open-ended tasks- Activities that allow for multiple solutions and encourage creative and critical thinking.
• Flexible grouping- Students work with different peers, including like-minded classmates, depending on the task.
• Independent investigations- Opportunities for students to pursue their own interests through inquiry and research.

• Differentiated success criteria- Tasks with tiered expectations to challenge every learner appropriately.

   

All our teachers have completed the Gifted Education Online (GEO1) course, giving them the skills to identify and support gifted learners. Some have also pursued postgraduate study in gifted education, further strengthening our whole-school culture of excellence.

Differentiation is not an “add-on,” it is embedded in daily teaching practice. This means that gifted learners are supported and extended within the classroom, every single day.

We thank our families for their continued partnership as we nurture the unique gifts God has given each child.

Miss Natalie Burland

Newman Leader of Learning