Gifted and Talented

Secondary Selective Entrance Schools and Programs

Parent Presentation for 2015 / 2016

 Conclusion
Languages Performance and
Application Preferences Testing Report Offers Questions

Arts Academic Appeals and Key dates

Programs
Testing Testing Preference
(ASET) changes
 Different programs in public high schools

• School based –
academic extension, debating . . .

• Specialist programs

• Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Entrance

- top 2.5% identified through testing
- fully government funded
 Gifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective Programs

• Academic program – in the learning areas of:

English, Mathematics, Science, Society and Environment

(*Online academic program offers either Mathematics and Science

courses or English and Society & Environment courses)

• Arts programs - gain placement in one of:

Dance, Drama, Music, Visual Arts,

Music Theatre, Media Arts

• Languages programs – gain placement to study

Italian, French, German, Chinese, Japanese

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective
Academic programs

Schools:
Perth Modern School
(fully selective school)

Bunbury SHS
Comet Bay College
Duncraig SHS
Governor Stirling SHS
Kelmscott SHS
Melville SHS
Shenton College
Willetton SHS
*Online
Academic programs

Gifted and Talented Selective Academic program

• Up to 32 places per class (schools operate between one and two classes)
Maths, Science, English and Society and Environment

Online
• Unlimited placements
• Maths/Science or Humanities
• Only for public school students outside of Metropolitan and Bunbury region

Perth Modern School

• Up to 225 places
• Residential College
 Gifted and Talented
Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective
Arts programs
Dance
Schools: Hampton SHS (Contemporary)
John Curtin COTA (Contemporary & Ballet)
Ballet
Your child will be accelerated and extended in our dynamic classical
ballet program, where highly expert staff and tutors teach technique,
including pointe work, choreography and performance.

Contemporary
Our contemporary dance program is designed to build on your
child’s natural ability and focus on developing his/her dance
technique.

Drama
School: John Curtin COTA
The program is a unique, compacted course focusing on students’
practical exploration of drama conventions, developing academic
understanding and workshopping drama skills. In lower school there is
a focus on writing skills in preparation for the upper school drama
course.
 Gifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective

Arts programs
Music Theatre
School: John Curtin COTA

Students receive tuition in a range of theoretical and practical areas

including music knowledge and theory, aural, history and analysis,
dramatic and vocal work, as well as dance.

Media Arts
School: John Curtin COTA

The college’s Media Arts program offers your child the

opportunity to develop skills in a broad range of functions in
film and television production, radio and journalism
 Gifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective

Arts programs

Visual Arts
Schools: Applecross SHS, Balcatta SHS,
Kalamunda SHS, John Curtin COTA

Your child will explore and experiment with media including painting,
sculpture, textiles, digital graphics, printmaking and jewellery. Students
are given opportunities to participate in workshops conducted by
professionals in the field including artists, designers, photographers and
curators.

Music
Schools: Churchlands SHS, John Curtin COTA

Your child will be encouraged to learn through creation, performance

and reflection. Students study all genres of music including world, rock,
classical and jazz. Performance is an important aspect with community
music performances, concerts, festivals.
 Gifted and Talented

Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective

Languages Programs

School: Mount Lawley SHS

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin) & Italian

School: Rossmoyne SHS

Languages: Chinese (Mandarin), French, German, Japanese
 Academic Appeals and
Arts Testing Preference Key dates
Programs Testing (ASET) changes

Languages Performance Conclusion

Applicatio Testing Report Offers and
Questions
n
All applications must be made online at the Gifted and Talented website:

www.education.wa.edu.au/giftedandtalented
• Applicants may enter up to
three preferences, with 1
being your highest

• Parents will receive an

automatic email to confirm
their application

• Hotmail email addresses

should be avoided
 Application: procedures and guidelines

• Up to date and accurate information within the application

- Parent / Guardian responsibility

• Acknowledgement and awareness of key dates

- Parent / Guardian responsibility

• Acknowledgement and awareness of the Applicant Guidelines

- testing conditions and processes, selection processes,
outcomes of inappropriate behavior
- Parent / Guardian responsibility
 Arts Academic
Testing
Appeals and
Preference
Key dates
Programs Testing (ASET) changes

Application Languages Performance Conclusion

Offers
Testing Report and
Questions
Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective
Arts programs - Testing

Media Arts
Workshop/Audition and Call Back (65%)
Dance
ASET (20% Humanities)
Drama Interview (15%)

Music Theatre

Visual Arts Workshop (55%)

ASET (20% Humanities)
Interview (25%)

Music Audition/Callback and Interview

* ASET not included (but must be taken)
**Unsuccessful music applicants may be able to audition again
in September 2016
** Only 2 piano places at Churchlands SHS, none at JCCA,
must be AMEB 7 minimum
 Arts Academic Appeals and
Testing Testing Preference
Programs Key dates
(ASET) changes

Performance
Application Languages Report
Offers Conclusion
and
Testing Questions
Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective
Languages Programs

Testing: All Language applicants must meet the academic

benchmark before being invited to interview, then rated
on interview

Placement: ASET (80%) and interview (20%)

 Academic
Arts Appeals and
Testing Testing Preference
Key dates
Application
(ASET) changes

Programs Languages Testing Performance Offers Conclusion

Report and
Questions
Gifted and Talented Secondary Selective
Academic Programs

Testing: All Academic applicants must sit the Academic

Selective Entrance Test (ASET)

Placement: Based solely on the results of the ASET

Gifted and Talented Academic Selective Entrance Test (ASET)

• Applicants for all programs are required to sit the ASET

• Arts-only exemption

• Applicants will receive a copy of a Candidate Information Bulletin prior to

sitting the ASET which provides information related to the format and
content of the different components of the test

• What to do if your child is unwell.

• There are no sample papers, however, parents may find test papers
at the NSW Dept of Education website, the ACER website, or papers by
Excel

?
available through newsagents. These are not endorsed by the Department.
So, what’s in the test . . .? ? ?
Gifted and Talented ASET

The Gifted and Talented ASET test has four equally weighted components :

• Reading Comprehension

• Communicating Ideas in Writing

• Quantitative Reasoning (Mathematics & Science)

• Abstract Reasoning
Gifted and Talented ASET- Reading Comprehension

• Tests ability to understand and interpret a range of texts,

which may include fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama,
together with diagrams, tables charts or maps
• No special knowledge in the subject areas is required
• All the information you need to answer the questions is
printed on the test paper

Format:
• Approx 35 Multiple Choice Questions
• 30 minutes
• No Dictionary or Thesaurus permitted
Gifted and Talented ASET- Reading Comprehension

Example:
The peaceful and submissive wombat
Abhors the very thought of combat.
Shaped like a shaggy little pig,
His joy is but to dig and dig.
A ten foot tunnel is to him
The product of a moment’s whim.
But when this impulse, urge or spasm
Is fanned into enthusiasm,
He’ll burrow on for miles and miles
And miles of subterranean aisles.
Gifted and Talented ASET - Reading Comprehension

Example:

Which of the following habits of the wombat is most

strongly emphasised by the verse?

A It digs tunnels in which to hide

B It burrows with astonishing energy
C It moves quickly but without purpose
D It retreats underground the moment someone approaches

Answer: B
Gifted and Talented ASET - Reading Comprehension
Gifted and Talented ASET – Reading Comprehension

The text says that the moons and planets in the solar system move

A at random
B frequently
C continuously
D anticlockwise

Answer: C
Gifted and Talented ASET – Communicating Ideas in Writing
• Students are presented with a stimulus and instructed to present
a well organised, creative, interesting and original piece of writing

• There is no restriction on genre or style

• Marked differently from NAPLAN writing

• 25 minutes

Examples: What would have

or happened if . . .?
Gifted and Talented ASET – Quantitative Reasoning

• Assesses reasoning ability in mathematics and science

- may differ from school-based curriculum
• Candidates will be required to extract and interpret information; identify

relationships, connections and differences; solve problems; and

identify
similarities and differences

Format:
• Approx 35 Multiple Choice Questions
• 30 minutes
• No calculators or rulers
Gifted and Talented ASET – Quantitative Reasoning

Examples:

Ben has two red socks and two blue socks in a drawer.
They feel the same to touch.
Suppose the first sock Ben takes out of the drawer is blue.

What is the chance of him taking out another blue sock?

A one in two
B one in three
C one in four
D one in six
Answer: B
Gifted and Talented ASET – Quantitative Reasoning

Example:
A water ski rope is designed to stretch 3% under full load.

To what length would a 20 metre

water ski rope be stretched when
under full load?

A 20.3 metres
B 20.6 metres
C 23 metres
D 26 metres
Answer: B
Gifted and Talented ASET – Abstract Reasoning

Assesses a student’s ability to:

• recognise relationships and think

logically
• hypothesise and complete sequences

Format:
• Up to 35 multiple choice questions
• 20 minutes
Gifted and Talented ASET – Abstract Reasoning

Examples:

Answer: 3
Gifted and Talented ASET – Abstract / Reasoning

Answer: D

A B C D
 Arts Appeals and
Testing Academic Testing Preference
Programs Key dates
(ASET) changes

Application Performance
Languages Testing Offers Conclusion
and
Report Questions
ASET – Performance Reports

• Indication of performance, by %ile

ranking, on four components of the
ASET – does not indicate
placement
 Appeals
and
Arts Preference
Testing Academic Testing changes
Programs Key dates
(ASET)

Languages TestingPerformance Report

Application Offers Conclusion
and
Questions
 Appeals & Preference Changes

• Parents can appeal to have one or all of the

four academic test components scores verified
by completing an Appeal Form

• The Appeal form can be downloaded from the

Gifted and Talented website

• The completed Appeal Form must be returned to

GTSU within 14 days of the date on the
Performance Report letter

• Preferences can be changed up to 14 days

after receiving the Academic Performance
Report – phone 9264 4307 or email:
gtsu@education.wa.edu.au
 Arts Appeals and
Testing Academic Testing Preference
Application Key dates
(ASET) changes

Languages TestingPerformance Report

Programs Conclusion
Offers and
Questions
Offers

• Should the applicant be

eligible, they will be
considered for places in
their ranked preference
order

• Eligible applicants will

only
be offered one place at
a
time – their highest
eligible
place
Academic and Languages offers

Academic benchmark – top one third to be eligible for academic or languages placement
Student test score is a combined score from all components of the ASET

Top one third of all applicants

who sat the ASET
 Academic offers

(ii) ASET score ranking, available places and preferences

Example: Year 6 student – ASET score above benchmark 

Preference 1 – Perth Modern School (225 places available)

2 – Melville SHS (32 places available)
3 – Kelmscott SHS (32 places available)

PMS MSHS KSHS

Pref 3
ranked 15th

Pref 2
ranked 27th
32 places 32 places Outcome: offer for Melville SHS

225 places
Pref 1
ranked 240th
 Conclusion
Languages Performance and
Application Preferences Report Offers Questions
Testing

Arts Academic Appeals and

Programs
Testing Testing Preference
Key
(ASET) changes dates
 Gifted and Talented

Summary of Key Events and Dates in 2016 (Complete dates available on website)

Event Year 6 Years 8 to 10

Applications Close Monday, 8 February 2016
Academic Testing *Saturday, 12 March *1-4 March

Arts Testing Throughout Term 1 and Term 2 holidays

Arts Interviews Term 2

Academic Performance Reports TBA May

Languages Interviews Start TBA May

Offers Start Early June

Offers Completed Early July

All Correspondence Completed End of Semester 1

*Academic testing of Years 6, 8, 9 and 10 in regional areas will be held 14-18 March (excludes Bunbury area Year 6)
 Conclusion
Languages Performance and
Application Preferences Report Offers Questions
Testing

Arts Academic Appeals and

Programs
Testing Testing Preference
Key
(ASET) changes dates
All applications must be made online at the Gifted and Talented website:

www.education.wa.edu.au/giftedandtalented

Queries: call 9264 4307 or email gtsu@education.wa.edu.au