Enrichment and Extension Programs
The REACH Program
At St Philip’s Christian College Gosford, we believe that God has gifted each one of us in different ways. Our Enrichment and Extension program seeks to recognise, develop and use our God-given abilities, talents and gifts for His glory, in service to others, and in alignment with our own unique purpose in God’s master plan.
Enrichment
SPCC Gosford believes that all students are able to, and deserve to, have opportunities for deeper learning within our school curriculum. Our hope is that students will ignite their own love of learning, strive to challenge themselves and build towards their own independence as learners. Therefore, different enrichment programs, both academic and extra-curricular are available to all students in order to engage, to empower and to equip them through their learning experiences. These enrichment programs are accessible for all academic abilities and run both in and out of the regular classroom, including;
- Academic excursions and camps
- Subject specific events (Pi Day, History Week, Science Week, Book Week, Library lessons)
- Visiting specialist speakers and seminars
- Passion Projects
- Public Speaking and Debating competitions
- Year Six Ignite Program
- Robotics Clubs
- Book Club
- MUNA
- Inspire days
- Stage Four to Six Study Skills programs
- Sporting Opportunities
- Duke of Edinburgh Award Scheme
- Whole School Leadership Programs
Extension
The Extension Program at SPCC Gosford aims to ignite passion and purpose in high potential learners through specialised programs and classes. The program acknowledges that students of high academic ability have different learning needs to their peers and should therefore be provided with challenging and rigorous teaching and learning activities in order to be extended. There are three key features to this program:
Early Identification
The program aims to identify high potential learners through a number of different measures. At entry points into the College (particularly Year Seven), and at regular intervals throughout their learning journey beginning in Stage One, high potential learners will be identified through regular adaptive testing and standardised testing scores (i.e PAT Testing and NAPLAN), subject specific assessments and testing, performances assessments and teacher recommendations.
The identification of students will be an ongoing process to ensure that students’ changing needs are met, and their evolving abilities are recognised as they progress through their educational journey.
Extension classes - a whole school approach
Beginning in Stage One and continuing into Stage Two and Three, High Potential Learners (HPL) will have extension classes in both English and Maths where students will be withdrawn into smaller groups and provided with explicit extension activities. These classes will provide students with the opportunity to consider these specialised subjects deeply, while also allowing them to engage in different project-based learning and creative and critical thinking activities.
In Stage Four and Stage Five High Potential Learners are identified and given the opportunity to be in the HPL Classes for English, HSIE, Science and Maths. While these classes will follow a similar program of study to their cohort, the HPL Class will provide opportunities for students;
- to be academically challenged in their area of expertise, with greater depth and complexity in each lesson.
- to be taught by specialised experienced staff who seek to align rich learning experiences with the needs and abilities of each learner.
When possible, those students in Year Seven who are identified as highly capable in Maths may be given the opportunity to explore the Accelerated Maths Program where students complete Year Seven and Eight Maths in one year, thereby accelerating their Maths pathway into the 5.3 Stage course. Students within this course will complete the HSC Mathematics Advanced Course in Year Eleven, one year ahead of their cohort.
In Stage Six, students will be encouraged to continue to pursue their own academic excellence choosing extension subjects on offer at the College. These include;
- English Extension 1 and 2
- Maths Extension 1 and 2
- History Extension
Extra Opportunities
The College provides other opportunities for academic enrichment through participation in various internal immersion programs and external competitions:
- Decathlon
- Maths Olympiad
- ICAS testing
- Global Academic Challenge
- Young Scientist Award Program
- Targeted mentoring for identified Gifted students
- Year Nine - Certificate in Design Thinking