Years 5 and 6 Advanced Learning Program

We believe in providing high potential learners with opportunities to experience the curriculum at a pace, depth and level of complexity that is commensurate with their skills and ability.  

Our Advanced Learning Program includes classes in Years 5 and Year 6 that are tailored towards offering these extension provisions. The program is structured in a way that addresses mastery of the core curriculum quickly and then moves to more challenging content and rigorous approaches to learning. 

The Advanced Learning Program has two components and a student may be placed in one or both of these. There is a full class of students in the Advanced Learning Program in Literacy (including the Humanities and Sciences) and  another class of students who will receive an Advanced Learning Program in Mathematics. 

What is the Advanced Literacy Program?

The Advanced Literacy Program covers the curriculum areas of English, Science and Technology, History, Geography and Personal Development. This program adheres to the same syllabus requirements as the rest of the grade in that the overarching topics are the same, yet there are considerable differences in the Advanced Learning Program which address the complex needs of the high potential learners. The program requires that students can understand, connect and analyse concepts that span across disciplines, that they are avid readers, have a fascination with the world around them and a passion for expanding their knowledge through research and active, rigorous discussion.

What is the Advanced Mathematics Program?

The Advanced Mathematics Program is for students who show exceptional competency in Number Sense, Reasoning and Problem Solving. They demonstrate mastery of the core skills quickly and show a broad application of concepts at grade level and well beyond. These students are exposed to a range of Maths Olympiads and other challenging competitions as well as collaborative problem solving opportunities, ‘Number Talks’ and Maths investigations. As with all classes, the focus on reasoning is emphasised and this fosters conversation about a range of effective strategies, various methodology and evaluating these for their level of efficiency. 

How does the Advanced Learning Program differ from the Core Learning Program?

The main difference between the Advanced Learning Program and the Core Learning Program is that learning can be compacted (sped up or accelerated) and the students are therefore expected to need less repetition. The curriculum is also adapted in a way that is considerably more complex, in depth, abstraction and challenge. Mindful of the need for all students to mix socially across the grade and build friendships within and beyond their classes, opportunities for mixed groups and whole-grade experiences occur throughout both Year 5 and Year 6.

During Hebrew lessons, the students in Year 5 and Year 6 are grouped based upon performance and demonstrated skill. In this way, students who are native Hebrew speakers and students who possess talent and skill in Hebrew may join the extension class without needing to fulfil all the criteria for inclusion in the Advanced Learning Program. Conversely, new students, who may not have had exposure to Hebrew, may be included in the beginners’ Hebrew program.

How do you determine if the Advanced Learning Program is right for your child?

The identification process for the Advanced Learning Program is rigorous. In Year 4, our students are assessed on a range of abilities and aptitude as well as skills in English and Mathematics. This is part of our assessment schedule along with a range of other achievement tests and standardised testing tools. We offer external students the opportunity to apply for the Advanced Learning Program and complete the assessments on the same day of testing as the internal Emanuel students. Students may qualify for the Advanced Learning Program in the Literacy stream or the Mathematics stream or both. The successful external applicants are invited for an interview before final places are offered. Additional assessment results, certificates of achievement in academic competitions and any other relevant evidence gathered externally can be submitted for consideration during this process.

Scholarships

Advanced Learning Program students, who complete both years of the program, are eligible to apply for a number of scholarships for Years 7-10. The scholarship is renewable for Years 11 and 12, depending on performance.

Rabbi Fox Scholarship

We also offer a bursary, generously funded by the Angles family, called the Rabbi Fox Scholarship, which supports the school fees of a student who requires financial support in order to be able to participate in the program. Applicants must be new to the School and have been accepted into the Advanced Learning Program. The Rabbi Fox Scholarship provides fee assistance from Year 5 until Year 12. Information on criteria is available from the Enrolments Office.