Honours Program

Providing an enriched curriculum as a catalyst for highly able students to fulfil their talent and realise their potential.

Developed with the wellbeing of students in mind, the program seeks to shape academic talent into strength awareness and ultimately, mastery. The program emulates global best practice by drawing on the literature and investigative practices of noted leaders in the field of gifted and talented education and offers academic extension, enrichment and acceleration to high performing and high potential students from Year 5 to Year 12.

Honours classes are delivered by specialist teachers and provide opportunities for problem-based enquiry and investigation, curiosity, interest and thought in an environment of like-minded scholars.

Interested students are invited to apply for entry into the program, with suitability determined by a number of factors, including academic performance and ranking, and also academic potential as evidenced by qualities such as conscientiousness, deliberate practice, love of learning, will power and grit. Academic scholarship recipients are automatically considered for entry into the Honours Program.

Identification of students

Interested students will be invited to apply for entry into the program. Suitability will be determined by a number of factors, including:

Standardised testing data
Academic results
Recommendations by teachers, specialists, peers and self, noting examples of conscientiousness, deliberate practice, love of learning, will power and grit
Ranking
Academic scholarship recipients will be automatically considered.

Students most likely to find the program of benefit will possess many of the following characteristics:

Academic talent and a love of reading and learning
Superior language ability
Large knowledge base
Keen observation
Efficient, high-capacity memory
Superior reasoning and problem solving
Ability to engage in abstract, complex, logical, and insightful thought
Mature sense of humour and enjoys playing with concepts and ideas
A commitment to learning Teachers conducting the program will be provided with specialist training in how to best cater for gifted and talented students to support the teaching and learning demands of the program.

The Program

The BBC Honours Program seeks to stimulate curiosity, interest and thought in an environment of like-minded scholars.

Designed to extend students who are high achievers in most of their subjects
Classes complete compacted year level curriculum with extension
Focus on enrichment, extension and problem-based enquiry
Identified students offered acceleration opportunities in Mathematics
Students will be expected to represent the College in academic co-curricular activities such as DaVinci Decathon, Readers Cup and Future Problem Solvers
Classroom teacher(s) and the Gifted and Talented Coordinator will mentor students to achieve their personal excellence goals

Designed to extend students who are high achievers in most of their subjects who are performing, or have the potential to perform, in the top 15 percent of the state
Enrichment classes will be offered in English, Mathematics, Science and multidisciplinary subjects such as STEM and Humanities/Arts
Identified students offered acceleration opportunities in Mathematics
Students will be expected to represent the College in academic co-curricular activities such as Future Problem Solvers, DaVinci Decathon and Readers Cup
Students will be guided by a Senior School Student Academic Mentor under the guidance of the Middle School Curriculum Coordinator and Gifted and Talented Coordinator to establish personal excellence goals

Bespoke program tailored to the individual strengths of top performing students
Identified students will be encouraged to select extension and acceleration courses in English and Mathematics. Students will continue to be challenged in these demanding subjects and during Year 12 will have the opportunity to study the higher-level English and Literature Extension and Music Extension
Students will be mentored by a Senior Academic Staff Coach and Gifted and Talented Coordinator to establish personal excellence goals
Opportunities for tertiary study at partner universities (for potential university credit), participating in UCAT study groups, and practical experiences with industry connections
Access to Honours Society super curriculum offerings and mentoring with Old Collegians