Barker College provides a PreK-12 pathway for gifted and talented students ensuring that learning opportunities grow with them. Through individualised learning design, our gifted and talented students are well-prepared to make transformative contributions in society.
The unique needs of gifted and talented learners are recognised and nurtured as part of Barker’s mission to inspire every learner. Barker’s Pre-K – Year 12 pathway for gifted and talented students ensures that learning opportunities develop alongside each student, with continuous, individualised case management supporting their growth over time.
Following Françoys Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent (DMGT), Barker recognises gifts and talents across intellectual, creative, physical and socioemotional domains to support fulfilling learning experiences. DMGT acknowledges that potential is catalysed into achievement through environmental, interpersonal and intrapersonal factors. To that end, Barker seeks to offer agile, responsive and well-resourced learning opportunities for gifted and talented students across the curriculum.
Barker educators know that growth is often hard-won, and demands supportive relationships, commitment and focus for success. We see the socioemotional skills of gifted and talented students as a key area of their education. We strive to prepare students with an aspirational mindset that harnesses grit and resilience in a caring environment.
In addition to Barker’s extensive cocurricular offerings, our gifted education program encompasses differentiated classroom practice, enrichment and extension activities, mentoring, and acceleration processes to maximise students’ strengths.
Barker adheres to best practice in gifted education by using a multiple criteria approach in selecting students for targeted enrichment and extension programs, including universal screening, standardised testing, internal assessment, parental nominations, teacher nominations, above level testing, psychometric testing, peer and self-nominations, and the analysis of work samples. We collaborate closely with parents and external providers, creating high potential student profiles as well as individual learning plans when needed.
Contact Us
Susanna Matters
Director of Gifted Education (Pre-K - 12)
[email protected]
Telephone: (02) 8438 7999
Françoys Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent
Junior School Learning Opportunities
As an international and inquiry-based approach, the Primary Years Program offers a platform of academic rigor for our youngest students. Students may participate in debating, robotics, chess, Ethics Olympiad, Kids’ Lit Quiz, Tournament of the Minds, Future Problem Solving, da Vinci Decathlon, Northside Gifted and Talented Network student conferences and workshops, ICAS assessments, Maths Olympiad, Young ICT Explorers, Young Scientist, and a range of writing competitions. Additionally, there are specialist music, visual arts and sporting programs to cater for gifted and talented students.
Senior School Learning Opportunities
Our Senior School caters for gifted and talented students through academically streamed classes, diverse elective subjects, faculty-based enrichment and extension, and an extensive cocurricular program inclusive of chess, public speaking and debating, mock trial, music ensembles, and representative sport.
Opportunities for gifted and talented students include:
- SUMMIT Program for High Performing Athletes
- Representative teams: Da vinci Decathlon, Ethics Olympiad, Model United Nations, Tournament of the Minds, World Scholars’ Cup
- Classical Studies: Classical Greek Club, OzClo Computational Linguistic Tournament
- Commercial Studies: Accelerated Business Studies, ASX School Sharemarket Game
- Computer Science and Engineering: UNSW ProgComp, Australian Informatics Olympiad
- English and Library: HSC English Extension Courses, Creative Writing Club, Literature Youth Forum, Year 7 and Year 8 Spelling
Bees, Write a Book in a Day, NSW Readers’ Cup
- History: HSC History Extension, Historical Investigations, Cambridge IGCSE History and IGCSE Global Perspectives
- Mathematics: HSC Mathematics Extension Courses, Mathematics Challenge for Young Australians, UNSW Mathematics Competition, Kangourou sans Frontières, Computational and Algorithmic Thinking, Australian Mathematics Competition, Australian Intermediate Mathematics Olympiad
- Music: Accelerated Year 9 Music Program, Annual Concerto Competition, String Solo Competition
- Science: HSC Science Extension, SciX Club
- Visual Arts: Ceramics Club, Photography Club
- Quest: an inquiry pathway for Middle School students to further develop personal interest projects.
