The libraries at St Patrick’s College, Strathfield, are central to enriching and supporting the teaching and learning programs of the College.

Our aim is to cultivate a life-long love of literature whilst developing students who are information literate and critical thinkers. We are proactive in developing information skills by integrating our programs with classroom learning activities.

We offer a dynamic and diverse collection of print and online resources, which cater for a wide variety of interests and abilities. Students can access these resources online at any time and via our two library spaces: the Westcourt Library and the McGlade Library. Staff located in the two locations, work with students across all year levels and with all staff. Our flexible learning spaces have been designed to support and encourage student-centred learning in a collaborative environment.

Students identified as being gifted or talented are those who perform, or have the potential to perform, in one or more domains at a level significantly beyond children of the same age, culture or circumstances.

The F Gleeson Gifted Education Program aims to facilitate an educational environment that caters to the unique potential of gifted and high potential learners.

The College believes that all boys in its care have the right and the ability to learn. We believe that all our students should be provided with access to a rigorous, standards-based curriculum, research-informed instruction, engaging learning opportunities, and differentiated learning relevant to the real world. Individual learning needs, strengths, goals, and interests should form the basis for learning opportunities that are drawn from the Australian Curriculum for our students (Student Diversity, Australian Curriculum).

The four key parts of the Gleeson Program are Extension, Enrichment, Differentiation, and Acceleration. Each area underscores the importance of granting all students access to a robust, standards-based curriculum, employing research-based instruction methods, offering engaging learning opportunities, and providing differentiated learning tasks that resonate with real-world contexts.

The College follows Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness and Talent which demonstrates, in a practical way, the links between aptitude and achievement.

Identification is a key element to the provision of gifted and talented education. This takes place through a number of methods, including: educational attainment testing (Allwell), NAPLAN analysis, external testing, internal testing, teacher nomination and parent nomination.

Provisions for talent development are made through: integrated differentiated programs, independent study programs, curriculum compacting, subject acceleration and class ability grouping. In Mathematics a compacted curriculum is offered for suitable candidates in Stages 5 and 6 over a three year period.

Provisions external to the classroom include opportunities such as: The Australian Science Olympiads, the international Future Problem Solving Competition, academic gala days in a number of domains, the NSW da Vinci Decathlon, the study of Philosophy as an elective in Stage 5 and participation in the NSW Philosothon and more.

In the Middle School, an extension group operates for boys in both Years 5 and 6. As the boys progress to the secondary classes, we run a Gleeson Stream for English, Mathematics, Visual Arts, Music and Core subjects (RE, Science, HSIE and PDHPE). The group is selected from a combination of standardised tests, school-based tests and teacher recommendation.

For more information about how we best identify, nurture and support our gifted and high potential students, please refer to our F Gleeson Gifted Education Program available here.

As part of St Patrick’s College’s overall commitment to the education of every child, the school has developed a strong learning support team that offers support in both the junior and senior years.

Specialist teachers and teacher’s aides assist students with diverse learning needs across all Key Learning Areas enabling students to access the curriculum and to achieve to the best of their ability.

This support can be delivered through team-teaching or in-class assistance or alternatively, where appropriate, students are withdrawn either individually or as part of a small group to further develop specific skills and content knowledge and understanding.

The team works closely with students, their families and external clinicians together with the Curriculum, Pastoral and Counselling teams to identify and support students with additional needs. Effective communication ensures that students are grouped appropriately and through ongoing collaboration, differentiated teaching strategies are embedded across all faculties to ensure all learners achieve success in a supportive and inclusive environment.

The school has an extensive referral system and students with additional needs can access a range of professional services which include a Speech Pathologist, Itinerant Specialist teachers and Counselling Services.

SERVICES UNDERTAKEN BY THE LEARNING SUPPORT TEAM INCLUDE:

• Inclusive stage 3 literacy program and numeracy support
• Small group stage 3 literacy intervention program targeting decoding and comprehension in leveled reading groups
• Specialist Literacy Teacher support stages 3-6
• Teacher Aide support stages 3-6
• Homework and Assessment Support Program
• Assistance with the modification and differentiation of curriculum and assessment tasks
• Assessment Support stages 3-6 through Disability Provisions
• Applications to NESA for HSC Exam Provisions
• Guidance and support in the provision of Life Skills and Vocational Education pathway options
• Development of Individual Education Plans
• Collaborative planning with students, parents, teachers and external professionals