Identifying gifted learners
St Paul’s College is a Gifted Education Lead School in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle. Our focus is to identify gifted learners and assist with the process of developing talent by providing specific opportunities for learning, training and practice.
Exciting opportunities
Catholic schools in the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, aim to yield desirable achievement outcomes for all students by embedding approaches that can help integrate the needs of our diverse learners, including those with high potential.
At St Paul’s Catholic College, we have high expectations for all students with an increased focus on gifted learners and their needs. Gifted Education is a priority in the system and is providing exciting opportunities for students in our school and we look forward to working with all the schools in the diocese during this exciting era of learning.
Virtual Academy
The Virtual Academy is a unique innovation of the Maitland-Newcastle Catholic Schools Office that aims to meet the needs of highly and profoundly gifted students in Years 5– 8. The Virtual Academy is a supportive pathway that operates online, with students being supported by dedicated staff trained in the field of high potential and gifted education and with regular video conferences.
The Virtual Academy implements NSW Education and Standards Authority (NESA) General capabilities encompassing the knowledge, skills, attitudes and behaviours:
- Critical and creative thinking
- Ethical understanding
- Information and communication technology capability
- Intercultural understanding
- Literacy
- Numeracy
- Personal and social capability
