Years 7 – 12

At Meriden, we understand high potential learners have unique learning needs that warrant particular attention within the school environment. We are committed to meeting the needs of our highly-able students through specialised teaching staff who provide extension and enrichment activities throughout the school day.

Our fine standard of academic achievement testifies to the richness, depth and rigour of the learning environment provided for our gifted students.

At Meriden, the intellectual growth of high potential learners is strengthened and deepened when these students work with others of similar ability and interests. It is also strengthened when they experience a rich and challenging curriculum organised around complex concepts designed to develop skills in thinking, problem-solving and inquiry learning. These students move through the curriculum more quickly than their age peers and for this reason, their teachers compact the curriculum to provide opportunities for enrichment, extension and subject acceleration.

The High Potential Learning program in Meriden’s Senior School encompasses a wide range of options and provisions. These include:

• Differentiation of the regular program to meet individual needs
• Ability grouping
• Honours class in Mathematics, commencing in Year 7
• Honours class in English, commencing in Year 8
• Curriculum compacting
• Parnassus Independent Research program
• Subject-based enrichment and extension courses
• Academic competitions
• Cocurricular opportunities for high potential learners

Meriden’s commitment to small class sizes enables teachers to know students as individuals and to cater for their specific needs within the classroom. Class placement allows students to learn with other students within a range of similar ability. It is also recognised that all students are individual and, as a further measure to ensure individual success, differentiation occurs within all classes. To facilitate a differentiated curriculum appropriate for high potential learners, a significant percentage of teachers at Meriden have undertaken professional development in Gifted Education provided by GERRIC in association with UNSW.

High potential learners are invited to participate in the Parnassus Independent Research program which involves conducting a substantial investigation into an area of personal interest. This program intensifies a student’s passion for learning, while refining both her organisational and higher order thinking skills. Students in the Parnassus Independent Research program present the results of their research at a forum attended by parents, friends and staff.

In identifying students, ‘Gagné’s Differentiated Model of Giftedness’ is used as a foundation and students are identified through a range of methods, including testing, classroom observation and parent insights. The student’s program of study is individualised to meet specific needs in consultation with parents, teachers and the student herself. This process is overseen by Meriden’s Head of Teaching and Learning and may involve other resource staff including the School Psychologist.

Meriden’s high potential learners choose challenging and rigorous electives for the Higher School Certificate such as Extension 2 Mathematics, Extension 2 English, Physics and Chemistry.

Great emphasis is placed on holistic education at Meriden and, as a result, a vibrant cocurricular program supports classroom practice. All students are encouraged to involve themselves in a broad range of activities and, for students who are high potential learners, Meriden offers specific programs designed to extend their learning. This may include participation in:

• Debating and public speaking
• Mock trials
• Da Vinci Decathlon
• Team-based academic competitions such as Tournament of Minds
• Festival of Speech
• Meriden Media Group
• Subject-based extension courses
• Mathematics and Science Olympiads training
• Meriden Creativity program

At Meriden, it is recognised that each girl’s pathway in learning is different, and in the case of students who have learning difficulties, this may require modified or differentiated learning experiences to ensure that their needs are being met.

Meriden offers a comprehensive Learning Support program within a nurturing environment. The model of support for girls with learning difficulties combines the best of existing pedagogy and practice. Students are, in the main, integrated within the year group. At the same time, they are ability-grouped into smaller classes conducive to effective learning according to their needs.

Independent Learning Skills

The Independent Learning Skills elective was introduced to the timetable in Years 8, 9 and 10 in order to assist students in keeping up with the demands of the secondary senior curriculum. The academic demands on students are great and the increasing popularity of coaching colleges bears witness to the fact that both parents and students are anxious to ensure children do not ‘fall behind’ or fail to grasp key concepts of what is being taught at school.

Meriden’s Independent Learning Skills course goes beyond other tutoring or coaching schemes. Students are given additional support with subjects being studied at school by teachers who work closely with the student’s own subject teachers. This support is given during timetabled lessons, in a small, supportive group environment with a specialist support teacher.

Meriden offers a supportive environment for students from non-English speaking backgrounds while they develop their confidence in speaking English and improve their proficiency in the language.

All students at Meriden are encouraged to speak English inside and outside the classroom. Immersion in the language gives them the opportunity to hear English spoken by both native and non-native speakers. They are motivated to participate in class discussions and learn how to express their own ideas in English.

As well as the mainstream English course which is studied by all students, Meriden’s English Language Skills elective course is available for students in Years 8, 9, 10 and 11. This course helps students to adjust to the demands of the Australian classroom through developing key skills appropriate to a range of subject areas. Students receive this additional support from specialist teachers who work closely with each student’s own subject teachers. There is a strong focus on vocabulary development and intensive grammar instruction that aids the overall improvement of the students’ academic writing skills in core subjects. This support is given during timetabled lessons, in a small, supportive group environment.

Furthermore, Meriden is one of only a few schools in New South Wales which offers the HSC course EAL/D English which is tailored for students in Years 11 and 12 whose first language is not English.