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Parramatta High School

Parramatta High School

Respect, Responsibility and Honesty

Telephone02 9635 8644

Emailparramatta-h.school@det.nsw.edu.au

Gifted and talented students

Parramatta High School is a partially selective high school which caters for both selective and non-selective students.

The school enrols students on the basis of a bi-modal model of selective and mainstream students.

Currently 60 selective students are now enrolled in each of Years 7 to 10, starting with the first cohort of Year 7 in 2010.

At Parramatta High School, we value and nurture students of all abilities. Our gifted and talented programs include varying classroom instruction to cater for the differing needs of our students. Strategies are developed to engage students and encourage higher order thinking skills. Staff at Parramatta High School, are continually being trained in the latest developments in gifted and talented education.

In 2013 30 staff members undertook training in the Gifted Education Research and Resource Centre (GERRIC) Mini Certificate of Gifted Education delivered by the University of NSW. This was an intensive two day course which covered identification of gifted and talented students as well as teaching strategies. The school is committed to ensuring that all staff complete training by the end of this year. 

According to the University of NSW, all gifted and talented programs should include familiarity of Bloom's taxonomy by teachers as well as students. This facilitates the growth of critical and analytical thinking skills, increasing student engagement and outcomes. The gifted and talented (GAT) committee is developing Bloom's Taxonomy posters for classrooms to help students gain an understanding of this educational  philosophy.

Competition news

Our GAT committee, which meets at least twice per term, oversees programs, competitions and GAT initiatives to challenge our students.

Here are some of the competitions and initiatives which are being offered this year:

  • social justice league
  • Australian maths competition
  • student representative council 
  • International Competitions and Assessments for Schools (ICAS) maths competition
  • environmental initiatives
  • Australian history competition
  • fundraising activities
  • Australian economics competition
  • school leadership programs
  • Australian computers competition
  • Australian business studies competition
  • peer mediation
  • commerce Year 9 market day
  • peer tutoring – TAFE (technical and further education) accreditation
  • Australian science competition
  • premiers reading challenge
  • ICAS Australian schools English competition
  • debating and public speaking
  • quantum mechanics
  • language perfect state competition
  • the national concerto competition
  • regional choir

Download and view our Gifted and talented policy (PDF 321KB) for more information.