Specialised Programs

Our specialised programs ensure our students are appropriately challenged and supported throughout their school years. As an open entry, mixed-ability school, we work with students across the full spectrum of ability levels and have a focus on personal excellence. We believe that with the right support and resources, each student is able to perform to the best of his ability.

Gifted and Talented Education (GATE) Program

We recognise that gifted and talented students have specific education needs and that it is imperative they are challenged, extended and inspired in distinct ways.

Defining Gifted and Talented

Giftedness is defined as the possession and use of outstanding natural abilities, called aptitudes, in at least one ability domain, to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers. Domains may be verbal/linguistic, mathematical/spatial, musical, kinaesthetic or creative.

Talent is defined as the outstanding mastery of systematically developed abilities, called competencies (knowledge and skills), in at least one field of human activity to a degree that places an individual at least among the top 10% of age peers who are or have been active in that field.

How we meet the needs of gifted and talented students

A comprehensive points based assessment criteria is used to ascertain a student’s eligibility for GATE. This system will allow for assessment of multiple forms of abilities (e.g. intellectual, creative, etc.). Once assessed, a range of curricular, co-curricular and mentoring opportunities are available that are tailored to match the distinctive needs of the individual student. This allows the development of talents in specific domains while pursuing mainstream curricula in other subjects. The opportunities that may be offered include:

Differentiated content, processes and/or tasks to challenge gifted and talented students
Annual Progression Reports for individual students
STEM-based electives offering hands-on learning such as Robotics and Computer Programming
Mentorship opportunities via the CSIRO Scientists in Schools Program
Subject acceleration across specific key learning areas in Year 9, 10 and 11
Pathways that lead to the completion of 1^st-year university subjects as a VCE subject in Year 12
Diverse co-curricular options that provide further avenues for gifted and talented students to be challenged through music, drama, art, debating, immersion programs, lunch clubs, as well as sport.

As well as preparation for external competitions such as:

Big Science Competition
Robocup Junior Competition
Australian History and Geography Competition
Da Vinci Decathlon

And external support programs such as:

The Victorian Association for Gifted and Talented Children Activities
CSIRO Student Research Scheme

Through this program, De La Salle College aims to enable exceptionally able students in a community of faith and excellence to achieve their full potential with integrity and distinction.

STRIVE Program

The STRIVE Program is a year 10 program unique to De La Salle College. It is a vocational and applied learning program drawing from the Victorian Pathways Certificate (VPC) and the Victorian Curriculum. Students will complete the STRIVE program in place of the traditional Year 10 program. Entry into STRIVE Program is by invitation only.

A STRIVE student’s learning program will include a modified version of each of the four VPC subjects — Literacy, Numeracy, Personal Development Skills and Work Related Skills plus Units 1 and 2 VCE Industry and Enterprise. Details for each of these subjects can be found on the following pages.

STRIVE Program students will also complete — with the rest of the Year 10 cohort, GROW, HPE/Sport, 2 Year 10 RE units and 2 Year 10 units from either Arts, Music or Technology. Further subject details can be found in the Year 10 section of the Handbook.

The structure of the STRIVE Program will support students in transition to the VCE Vocational Major or entry level VET.

Education Support

Extending across all Year Levels, our Education Support Team assists our teachers to meet the needs of students with additional learning needs.

The team works collaboratively with our teaching staff to:

Identify and implement appropriate adjustments to support student wellbeing and learning;
Enhance teachers’ knowledge of students with learning difficulties;
Inform teaching practices in an environment of inclusivity and success.

The Education Support Team consists of a Coordinator, Special Education Teachers and Learning Support Officers.

Students can be referred to the Education Support Department for assessment by either teachers or parents. To determine support needs, Education Support Teachers may complete internal assessments or make recommendations for referrals to external agencies.

Nationally Consistent Collection of Data (NCCD)

Every year, all schools in Australia participate in the Nationally Consistent Collection of Data on School Students with Disability (NCCD). The NCCD process requires schools to identify information already available in the school about supports provided to students with disability. These relate to legislative requirements under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 and the Disability Standards for Education 2005, in line with the NCCD guidelines (2021).

Information provided about students to the Australian Government for the NCCD includes:

year of schooling
category of disability: physical, cognitive, sensory or social/emotional
level of adjustment provided: support provided within quality differentiated teaching practice, supplementary, substantial or extensive.

This information assists schools to:

formally recognise the supports and adjustments provided to students with disability in schools
consider how they can strengthen the support of students with disability in schools
develop shared practices so that they can review their learning programs in order to improve educational outcomes for students with disability.

The NCCD provides state and federal governments with the information they need to plan more broadly for the support of students with disability.

The NCCD will have no direct impact on your child and your child will not be involved in any testing process. The school will provide data to the Australian Government in such a way that no individual student will be able to be identified – the privacy and confidentiality of all students is ensured. All information is protected by privacy laws that regulate the collection, storage and disclosure of personal information. To find out more about these matters, please refer to the Australian Government’s Privacy Policy.

Further information about the NCCD can be found in the Information Sheet and on the NCCD website.

Special Learning Programs

The Education Support Department offers a Literacy Support Program and the Mathematics Department offers a Numeracy Support Program to students in Years 7–9. At Years 10–12, students select their program to best suit their abilities and interests.