Cross curriculum content enriches and supports the learning areas and adds depth to student learning. In NSW students study a range of learning across the curriculum content.
Cross curriculum priorities
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures
- Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia
- sustainability
General capabilities
- critical and creative thinking
- ethical understanding
- information and communication technology capability
- intercultural understanding
- literacy
- numeracy
- personal and social capability
Other learning across the curriculum areas
- civics and citizenship
- difference and diversity
- work and enterprise.
© NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) for and on behalf of the Crown in right of the State of New South Wales, 2012
Gifted students are those who display aptitude in one or more domain of a higher level than their peers of the same age, culture or circumstances. The aptitude domains in which gifted children may show significant strength beyond their age peers are; intellectual, creative, socio-affective and sensory-motor.
Talents refer to systematically developed skills in academics, arts, business, leisure, social action, sports and technology. The school plays an important part in developing these aptitudes and talents by providing a supportive and conducive environment.
It is important to recognise that these children need differentiated educational opportunities and social and emotional support in the home, school and community.
Identifying a gifted or talented child
Before identifying any child gifted in a particular area, we aim to ensure that all children have had the opportunity to learn and succeed in this area. This makes the identification process fair.
Gifted or talented pupils are identified using a variety of methods. The specific procedure will vary according to area but will include elements of the following:
- teacher nomination
- assessment results
- parental nomination
- specialist teacher identification.
It is worth remembering that gifted pupils can be:
- good all-rounders
- high achievers in one curriculum area
- of high ability but with low motivation
- of good verbal ability but poor writing skills
- very able but with a short attention span
- very able but with poor social skills
- keen to disguise their abilities.
Everyone in our school has a responsibility to recognise and value pupils' abilities. We are aware that unnecessary repetition of work is de-motivating and de-motivated pupils will not always demonstrate potential. There is sometimes peer pressure to under-achieve and gifted pupils are not always easier to engage than other pupils.
Provision
Opportunities for extension and enrichment are built into all units of work.
We aim to:
- maintain an ethos where it is okay to excel.
- encourage all pupils to be independent learners.
- recognise achievement in all areas.
- be aware of the effects of ethnicity, bilingualism, gender and social circumstances on learning and high achievement.
- provide a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
- always provide work at an appropriately challenging level.
- provide opportunities for pupils to work with like-minded peers
- be aware of and sensitive to the social and emotional needs of the gifted children and provide appropriate support.
Approaches To provision:
Effective provision includes a mix of approaches.
Enrichment
Where a pupil is given the opportunity to explore a subject in a broader sense, either working on a more complex task with several objectives or in a different context (even abstraction). This may involve exploring areas of learning that other pupils do not cover.
Extension
Using higher order thinking skills to develop a deeper understanding of a concept or subject.
Independence
Gifted and talented children are often able to be very creative when working independently. However, it must be remembered that even more able children need to have their learning scaffolded by the teacher.
Reflection
Gifted and talented pupils are able to define how they learn. This skill of meta-cognition needs teaching in order for it to develop fully.