Enrichment and Support – Senior School
Academic Enrichment
Year 7
At St Mary’s, Year 7 students are placed in a single main class, similar to the primary school model, to provide continuity and strong pastoral care as they begin their Senior School journey. Students are encouraged to develop greater independence while still benefiting from the familiarity and support of a central classroom. Most Year 7 class groups are mixed‑ability, with high‑ability classes offered in Mathematics from Term 2. English, HASS and Science classes are taught as part of their main class groups, with teaching of these subjects adjusted to support different learning needs.
Intake assessment data will be used to create an evolving shortlist of students for selection into academic extension programs, competitions and events in Maths, English, HASS, Science and Languages. Academic enrichment opportunities are offered to Year 7 students across three levels. See the table below for a snapshot of what is typically offered to our students. We have a long history of seeking out and responding to new programs and opportunities as they become available, so these offerings may change year on year.
| Open to All | Top 10% (approx) | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|
| Access to extension resources, including video lessons | Maths Olympiad, Maths Challenge | da Vinci Decathlon |
| Fremantle Writers Workshop | Maths Enrichment Club | Have Sum Fun Face-to-Face |
| Pi Day, English Week, Science Week, HASS week activities | Have Sum Fun Online | |
| Girls in Engineering, Big Science | Maths extension class placement | |
| SPECTRA (Science Program Exciting Children Through Research Activities) | Future Problem Solving | |
| Debating, Public Speaking | Australian Maths Competition | |
| Peter Cowan writing competition | Australian History Competition | |
| Australian Geography Competition | ||
| Spanish lessons |
Years 8 to 10
Our formal Gifted and Talented Program commences in Year 8, with one extension class offered in each of the four learning areas of Maths, English, Science and HASS. Programmes in each learning area are overseen by a specialist Gifted and Talented Coordinator.
Students are identified, selected, and invited to join these extension classes each year, based on a combination of annual standardised testing (AAS, NAPLAN), school assessments, teacher diagnostics and observation, and external assessments supplied by families (such as a WISC-V).
Academic enrichment opportunities are offered to Years 8 to 10 students across three levels, and our gifted and talented students are also invited to participate in a wide range of academic competitions and enrichment opportunities. See the table below for a snapshot of what is typically offered to our students.
| Open to All | Top 10% (approx) | Top 1% |
|---|---|---|
| Access to extension resources, including video lessons | Maths Olympiad, Maths Challenge | da Vinci Decathlon |
| Fremantle Writers Workshop | Maths Enrichment Club | Have Sum Fun Face-to-Face |
| Pi Day, English Week, Science Week, HASS week activities | Have Sum Fun Online | GAWA poster competition |
| Big Science | Maths extension class placement | WAJO (Western Australian Junior Mathematics Olympiad) |
| Medusa Incursion | Future Problem Solving | Maths Empowering Girls Day |
| Debating, Public Speaking | Australian Maths Competition | Massolit Lecture Series |
| Peter Cowan writing competition | Australian History Competition | PLEAWA Cartoon Competition |
| Australian Geography Competition | Harry Perkins Next Gen day, 10 week program (Year 10) | Curtin Rising Scholar (from Year 10) |
| Ignite Magazine Entries | STEM Day | First Parliament Speech |
| STEM Tour (Year 10) | Maths Camp | |
| Science Talent Search | ||
| Simpson Prize | ||
| Premier’s ANZAC Student Tour | ||
| Science and Engineering Challenge | ||
| OzCLO (Australian Computational and Linguistics Olympiad) |
Years 11 to 12
In Years 11 to 12, formal extension classes are superseded by a vast array of pathway and subject offerings. Students can customise their course load to suit their abilities and talents, with a wide range of clubs, competitions and activities on offer.
In addition, exceptionally capable students may be invited to join the Curtin Rising Scholar Program (RSP). Students enrolled in Curtin’s RSP can study a first-year university unit each semester, up to a maximum of 4 units.
Particularly gifted students may also be considered for academic acceleration in a particular course of study – typically Mathematics Methods and Mathematics Specialist. Parents considering this option must apply while their child is in Year 8 and would typically be given access to an advanced curriculum in preparation for enrolling in a Year 11 ATAR course in Year 10.
There are many, many opportunities available to students at St Mary’s, and the School has a long history of seeking out and responding to new programs and opportunities as they become available.
Learning Support Program
From Year 7, students who require additional learning assistance can access our Learning Support Program.
For students in Years 7 and 8, we invite those requiring Targeted Literacy Intervention to join our foundations program for reading, vocabulary, writing and spelling skills. As students progress into Years 9 and 10, literacy support continues with specialised sessions led by expert teachers to build their skills in the context of formal reading and writing.
From Years 7 to 9, we also offer a Targeted Numeracy Program for students looking to strengthen their mathematical skills and reasoning. Participants attend extra lessons tailored to empower them in their mainstream maths classes. Our dedicated Numeracy Support Coordinator conducts diagnostic testing to monitor progress and adjust support as needed, so that every student has the opportunity to flourish in their maths journey.
We are excited to partner with families in nurturing their child’s educational journey.
Apply today
St Mary’s is all about girls discovering their best. We want our students to be engrossed in the exploration of ideas, to be self-motivated and self-directed, to delight in trying something new and to contribute positively to the community.