Extension & Gifted and Talented

Extension and Gifted and Talented Education

At Bicton supporting and extending our top 20% of students is embedded into our operational planning through our aspirational targets for continuous improvement. Our talented, high achieving and gifted students have specific learning needs that require adjustments to content (what students learn), process (how students learn), product (how students demonstrate their learning), and learning environment, according to personal characteristics such as readiness, interest and learning preference. By creating adjustments that take account of these differences, teachers are able to address the individual learning needs of each student and maximise their learning potential in the classroom. At Bicton we are developing our programs for students requiring extension or curriculum broadening within their learning. Adjustments and programs that are being developed focus on the need to reflect students’ abilities (E.g. Learning at a faster rate, problem-solving abilities, abilities to manipulate abstract idea and make connections). Since 2018 we have continued to invest in this area for our students.

We are focusing on developing the following strategies for our students:

• Continuing the Opti-MINDS Creative Sustainability Challenge as this empowers participants to think, create and communicate. It is a creative problem-solving event that focuses on Language Literature, Science Engineering and Social Sciences.
• Continuing extension support classes for students identified through whole school data analysis.
• Investing in professional development targeted at curriculum compacting, spiral curriculums and multi-level learning solutions for all teachers.
• Investing in professional development