Year 5 students from the Pittwater Community of Schools are benefiting from an enrichment program that offers extension activities across a range of subjects.

Developed by Narrabeen Sports High School, the program includes workshops in design, science, maths, debating, arts and environmental studies.

Two to three students from 10 local primary schools participate in the program, which runs every Thursday over 10 weeks each term. The primary schools identify the students they believe will most benefit from the program, which is now in its third year.

Narrabeen Sports High technical and applied studies teacher Jane Smith, who coordinated the program in 2007, said it encourages creativity and higher order thinking skills.

“Socially, the participants are able to find kindred spirits, likeminded students who are able to work at that pace,” she said.

Ms Smith said the students are exposed to experiences which may not be available in primary schools. They may also work at a quicker pace and in more depth than their primary cohort.

“The parents have said that it has also been good for the students to see what high school is like,” Ms Smith said.

Narrabeen Sports High principal Kerry Rose said the enrichment program is part of the middle schooling initiative.

“With new curriculum developments and advances in technology, Stage 3 students arrive at high school with much higher skill levels than previously,” Ms Rose said. “Our brief is to meet their learning needs, through a variety of differentiated learning experiences, challenging the students while putting them into a different learning milieu one day a week over a semester.”

Ms Rose said the program offered a valuable professional learning opportunity for Narrabeen Sports High teachers.

“They are utilising the strategies our primary school colleagues use – to teach the child and not the subject. They also experience what it’s like to work with the same group of students for six hours at a time as our Stage 3 colleagues do.

“This is extremely valuable as it has enabled us to better understand our students and support them when they enter high school.”