It is the role of the Specialised Learning team to work closely with teachers, students, parents and outside professionals to cater for the individual needs of students. We also work closely with our school psychologists, the Head of Careers and Pathways and Partnerships.
This collaborative approach ensures communication and sharing where parents and professionals work together, supporting each other to provide a learning environment that is differentiated and accessible. At St Andrew’s Cathedral School, teachers are mindful of students’ social, emotional, spiritual and academic development. We aim to create a learning environment where students can access the curriculum, have opportunities to contribute to class discussions and participate in class activities.
– Junior School and Gawura School
Specialised Learning in the Junior School is led by the Primary Coordinator, Ms Cathy Dangar, and supported by a team of teachers and aides.
Services provided by the Specialised Learning team in the Junior School may include:
- In-class support
- Diagnostic assessment
- The development of Student Learning Plans
- 1:1 or small group academic, organisational support where appropriate
- Parent information sessions
- Professional development sessions to enhance teacher skills and understanding
- Assistance with the modification of curriculum and assessment
- Transition programs
- Collaborative planning with teachers, students, parents and outside professionals.
- Determining appropriate adjustments for students with a disability
- Collection of data to access Commonwealth funding (NCCD)
Please contact Ms Cathy Dangar with any questions, concerns or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Learning support and extension
A team of specialist educators support our teachers in the classroom, as well as through withdrawal groups, to cater for the learning needs of students who require additional support, as well as those needing further extension to meet the demands of the curriculum.
Gawura School – Occupational Therapy and Speech Therapy
Gawura school is very fortunate to have funds that have been donated to go towards special therapies for students deemed as benefiting from professional service experts like speech therapists and occupational therapists.
Class teachers make a recommendation based on class assessment with the specified therapist. We are usually allowed to have funding for six sessions and once this expires the family can gain a health care plan from their local family doctor for another 5-10 sessions. Of course these sessions are all subject to available funding. We will permit more than the initial six sessions. If the funding is available and will let parents know when these sessions are about to finish, or when there are two remaining.
– Middle School
This team is led by the Acting Head of Specialised Learning, Mrs Tammy Campbell, and in the Middle School comprises of (EAL/D) Ms Heaven Lee (Specialised Learning Teachers), Ms Stephanie Levira (Yr 7-8) and Mr Rodrigo De La Hoz (Yr 9), Mr Matthew Hammond (Aboriginal Education mentor), Mrs Roberta Viant, Ms Emily Clear and Mr Adam Cassidy (Teacher’s Aides Yr 7-9).
Services provided by Specialised Learning in the Middle School may include:
- In-class support
- SacsAchieve after school homework club
- EAL/D Study Centre
- Diagnostic assessment
- The development of Individual Adjustment Plans
- Targeted intervention programs
- Support for students identified as twice exceptional
- Parent information sessions
- Professional development sessions to enhance teacher skills and understanding
- Assistance with the modification of curriculum, assessment and exams
- Learning Transition programs
- Collaborative planning with teachers, students, parents and outside professionals
- Determining appropriate adjustments for students with a disability
- Collection of data to access Commonwealth funding (NCCDSWD)
Please contact Specialised Learning with any questions, concerns or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Key staff:
Mrs Tammy Campbell
Acting Head of Specialised Learning
02 9286 9558
tcampbell@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Ms Stephanie Levira
Specialised Learning Teacher (Year 7 and 8)
slevira@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Mrs Naomi Davey
Specialised Learning Teacher (Year 9 and Year 10)
02 9286 5489
ndavey@sacs.nsw.edu.au
Ms Heaven Lee
EAL/D Teacher
02 9286 9584
hlee@sacs.nsw.edu.au
– Senior College
Our collaborative approach ensures communication and sharing where parents and professionals work together, supporting each other to provide a learning environment that is differentiated and accessible.
This team is led by the Acting Head of Specialised Learning, Mrs Tammy Campbell. The Senior School comprises of (EAL/D) Esther Sylvester, (Specialised Learning Teachers) Mrs Naomi Davey (Yr12) and Mrs Michelle Ball (Yr 10-11), Mr Adam Cassidy (Teacher’s Aides Yr 10-12).
Services provided by the Specialised Learning Team in Senior College include:
- In-class support
- SACSAchieve – after school homework and study support
- Diagnostic assessment
- The development of Individual Adjustment Plans
- Parent information sessions
- Professional development sessions to enhance teacher skills and understanding
- Assistance with the modification of curriculum, assessment and exams
- Learning Transition programs
- Collaborative planning with teachers, students, parents and outside professionals.
- Disability Provisions Applications for the Higher School Certificate.
- Determining appropriate adjustments for students with a disability.
- Collection of data to access Commonwealth funding (NCCDSWD)
Please contact Ms Tammy Campbell with any questions, concerns or to provide additional information that will assist the school in meeting your child’s individual learning needs.
Gifted and Talented
St Andrew’s recognises the need to cater for gifted and talented students within an inclusive cohort. We aim to provide specialised educational programs and opportunities. From our core values, 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.
– Junior School
As a Christian school we have a responsibility to recognise a wide range of student abilities, and to provide challenging educational experiences for all students, helping them to achieve their God-given potential (Matthew 25:14-30; Romans 12:6). This includes students of high academic potential, or gifted and talented students. At SACS, students have their needs met through the process of differentiated instruction. Gifted and talented students are recognised as having unique educational needs and are catered for in order that their learning outcomes are optimised.
Developmentally appropriate programs for gifted and talented students incorporate a combination of grouping strategies, enrichment, counselling interventions and acceleration. Selection of students for Accelerated classes and/or cluster groups commonly follows a recommendation procedure. Student nomination may be gathered from parents, students and staff and considered alongside academic records from semester based school-wide screening. Standardised tests, maths, comprehension and vocabulary, group reading tests, oral reading fluency, phonemic awareness, mathematics diagnostic tests, basic skills assessments and UNSW competitions are components considered by the Gifted and Talented Committee 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.
Each year a Parent Information Evening is held, outlining the school’s policy and procedures and directions in gifted education. The Gifted Education Committee acts corporately as arbiter of any decisions regarding student placement. The Committee considers which students would benefit most by placement in the extension class or cluster grouping at this time, in consultation with all stakeholders.
The Junior School Gifted And Talented Coordinator is Mrs Lucy Birts, , lbirts@sacs.nsw.edu.au. She has a Masters qualification in Gifted Education.
Other staff with specialised Gifted Education qualifications include Mrs Rhonda Robson, Mrs Kate Robertson, Dr Kaye Chalwell, Miss Emily Sze and Mrs Harriet O’Donnell.
– Middle School
Academic excellence, challenge, opportunity and choice, in an environment which supports the holistic intellectual and socio- emotional development of each gifted and talented learner – this is what our Gifted Education program in Years 7 to 9 aspires to achieve.
Françoys Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT) forms the central conceptual understanding of giftedness at St Andrew’s – 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 program allows for an understanding that giftedness is diverse, can include a range of abilities and should be nourished and developed through a range of programs and provisions.
Our Extension classes in Years 7 – 9 in core subjects and advanced classes in others, together with cluster grouping, extension and enrichment aims to support the intellectual needs of our gifted and talented students. These needs are met through faster paced lessons through curriculum compacting and telescoping, in addition to gifted differentiation practices considering content, process, product and environment. Creative and critical thinking skills are fostered throughout, with a strong focus on writing skills in English and working mathematically to a higher level and interpreting complex mathematical word problems in Maths. In Science, students are introduced to higher order demand terms in working scientifically and their ability to plan, design and carry out investigations independently are developed throughout. In addition, subject and year group acceleration is another option for our highly gifted students.
A focus on the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) inquiry-based learning model is a major feature of our Middle School (Year 7-9) gifted and talented program. It prepares students well for either the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme or the Higher School Certificate in Senior College. The MYP emphasises intellectual challenge and encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world, preparing them for success in further study and in life.
Opportunities and services for gifted and talented students in the Middle School may include:
- Participation in academic competitions and Olympiads
- Participation in school developed enrichment programs and sessions across a number of subject areas
- Participation in a variety of external opportunities and programs for gifted and talented students across all ability domains
- The development of Gifted Education Learning Profiles and Personal Learning Plans for highly gifted students
- 1:1 or small group sessions to support executive functioning skills, spelling, writing, note taking and study skills.
- Targeted intervention programs for Twice Exceptional and Underachieving students.
- Parent information sessions
- Professional Development for teachers to support the needs of gifted and talented students
- Testing and data analysis to identify intellectually gifted and talented students and tracking their talent development
- A close working relationship exists between the Junior School and Middle School to support the transition of our gifted and talented students.
Please contact Ms Stephenson , Leader of Learning, Gifted Education or phone 9286 9500 if you wish to discuss the specific needs of your gifted and talented identified child in more detail. Ms Stephenson has a Masters qualification in both Special Education and Gifted Education.
– Senior College
Academic excellence, challenge, opportunity and choice, in an environment which supports the holistic intellectual and socio-emotional development of each gifted and talented learner – this is what our Gifted Education program in Years 10 – 12 aspires to achieve.
Our Extension classes in Years 10 in core subjects and advanced classes in others, together with cluster grouping, extension and enrichment aims to support the intellectual needs of our gifted and talented students. In addition, subject and year group acceleration is another option for our highly gifted students. In Years 11 – 12, the educational needs of our gifted students are met through the HSC program in Advanced and Extension classes, with similar options available for students opting to participate in the IBDP.
Gifted Education programs and opportunities in the Senior School include:
- Gifted identification and assessment
- The development of a Gifted Education Profile (GEP) for highly gifted students
- Academic coaching and interventions for gifted students who are Twice Exceptional, underachieving or EAL/D
- Collaborative planning with teachers, students and parents to meet the unique learning needs of gifted and talented students
- Social-emotional programs and interventions, geared towards the specific needs of gifted and talented students
- Project Catalyst, our in-house peer mentorship program
- The opportunity to enrol in first year university courses in a number of subjects, for our highly and profoundly gifted students who require academic challenge and variety.
Please contact Ms Stephenson , Leader of Learning, Gifted Education or phone 9286 9500 if you wish to discuss the specific needs of your gifted and talented identified child in more detail. Ms Stephenson has a Masters qualification in both Special Education and Gifted Education.