Parent Information
Frequently Asked Questions
What is GT Online?
The Selective Academic Program Online, known as GT Online, is a WA Department of Education program offered to students in Years 7 to 10 who are enrolled at public schools in regional and rural WA. The program has been in existence since 1996. GT Online is one of the Department’s academic programs for gifted and talented students; the other programs are situated at schools in Bunbury, Albany and the Perth metropolitan area.
Why participate in the GT Online Program?
A key advantage of the GT Online Program is that students can undertake a suitably challenging academic program with other similarly talented students, while living at home and attending their local school, instead of having to move to Perth at a relatively young age. The ability to manage time and to work independently are key skills developed in the GT Online Program. Students completing the program in Year 10 often remark that they feel ready for senior school and university because they have learned these skills. Teachers and School Coordinators help students to learn these skills, providing a clear structure to each course and employing organisational tools.
Students deserve to be proud of having won a place in a Gifted and Talented program. Participating in the GT Online Program is a rewarding and educationally challenging opportunity that that sets high standards and promotes the successful attainment of learning outcomes, preparing students for Years 11 and 12 and beyond.
How is GT Online different from regular school?
Supplementary programs, including GT Online, enable gifted students to interact with their peers at a higher academic level than can normally be provided in the regular classroom. The GT Online curriculum is differentiated to cater for the needs of gifted students using three broad approaches: acceleration, extension and enrichment.
- Accelerating learning by compacting the curriculum to exempt knowledge and skills that students have already demonstrated and remove unnecessary repetition. This provides time to advance into content from a higher year level as well as for extension and enrichment activities.
- Accelerating learning by increasing the pace of learning, assisted by less repetition and small group sizes
- Extending the curriculum to deepen students’ understanding of concepts and topics studied.
- Enriching the curriculum to broaden learning experiences, sometimes beyond the curriculum and encourage expansion of knowledge and skills.
Who teaches the GT Online Program?
GT Online teachers are experienced in working with gifted and talented students. They work at schools delivering selective academic programs and are immersed in the culture of gifted and talented education.
The teachers have high expectations of students to complete all of the course requirements, including attendance at lessons and submission of work. They also expect students to participate actively in lessons and to complete work to the best of their ability. High expectations help the students to recognise the value of their learning and to take pride in the work they complete.
Many of the online teachers have taught in rural and remote areas and some attended rural schools for their own education. They are experienced subject specialist teachers and many have been teaching online for a number of years.
Who participates in GT Online?
To gain entry to the GT Online Program students must be successful in the selective entry tests administered by the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit within the Department of Education. The program is available for students from Year 7 to 10 in government schools in regional and remote Western Australia. In 2022, there are 75 students enrolled from 31 different locations across WA.
All regional WA public schools are able to provide access to the GT Online Program.
When do students attend classes?
Students commit four periods (3 -4 hours per week) of school time to each subject. This allows for two periods online class time and two periods for independent work. Students do not attend the mainstream classes in the subject area they are studying with GT Online and every attempt is made to schedule their WebEx lessons to match up with their school timetable.
GT Online classes are timetabled with the principle of minimal interruption to regular school classes. This is achieved in a number of ways:
- Multiple ‘streams’ of lessons are offered to allow for different school timetables.
- Final timetable fits are worked out by analysing all school timetables together.
The final timetables are not always a perfect fit and students may miss part of a school class or a recess/lunch during the week. However, the disruption is minimal. Parents and students value what the program offers and are willing to compromise in this regard. Students are expected to attend the full length of their lessons even if there is an overlap with break times.
What happens in an online learning class?
Students work in intensive, small group tutorials with their teacher for two periods per week in real time using WebEx video conferencing. This platform allows students to communicate with their teacher using voice and video and to work together using a shared visual working space.
For a further two periods per week, students work independently during school time on learning activities and research tasks in the school library or online room. A secure online learning system called Moodle, provides students with their course program and learning resources, plus allows for communication with their teacher, online tests and other tools.
In addition, 1 to 3 hours of homework will be required for each subject per week. At the same time, teachers recognise that students have many other commitments to balance, both at school and outside. They therefore recognise where due effort has been made and do not expect students to work beyond what is reasonable.
A teacher conducting an online class
What courses are available to study?
Programs of study are offered in Mathematics, Science, Humanities & Social Sciences and English. Students usually commence studying either the Mathematics and Science stream or the Humanities stream (Humanities & Society Sciences and English).
Experience has shown that it is beneficial to start with only two GT Online subjects in order to develop the organisational and time management skills required to be successful at online learning. Following a review after one semester, students may be offered the option to increase to four subjects, if their progress and ASET scores support this decision.
At the commencement of high school, it is important for your child to maintain interaction with their peer group to assist them to establish friendships and a social network. Students can sometimes experience a feeling of isolation from their peers and feel they miss opportunities to establish new friendships if they commence the year with 16 hours of online learning per week. Students can also find it overwhelming to undertake the independent learning requirements of studying both streams of study, and benefit from having a semester to develop their time management and organisational skills.
What are the class sizes?
Class sizes do vary, with usually a maximum of 10 students.
Where do online lessons take place?
The School Coordinator will organise a suitable location within the home school where students can work on a school-networked computer. Many students work in a space in the library or some schools have an online learning room used by a number of students, including students studying with the School of Isolated and Distance Education (SIDE). In the event you are not at school for a day, students can attend WebEx lessons from home on a computer with Internet access, or access a recording of the lesson if unable to attend.
How do the students do science experiments?
Science inquiry skills are developed in several ways including
- the use of web cams during Webex lessons allowing students to view demonstrations
- online lab simulations using an Explore E-learning Gizmos program
- laboratory workshops conducted during camp
- practical investigations conducted by the students using simple safe equipment that can be easily sourced from the classroom or home.
Where do I get help at my home school?
Each school has a member of staff allocated the role of Gifted and Talented Online Coordinator. This is the person to go to if you have questions or problems, for example, timetable issues, a problem with your computer or need to scan or post something to your online teacher. If a school does not currently have any students enrolled in the GT Online Program, they will appoint a person to support any future students.
Once enrolled in the program, for specific learning area questions check Moodle, as this is where the program and tasks are located. GT Online teachers can be messaged via Moodle. Sometimes the teachers at your home school are willing to provide guidance, if an agreeable time to meet can be organised.
If there are other GT Online students at your school, ask them for advice. It can be very helpful when older GT Online students act as a mentor when students first begin online learning.
How will learning outcomes be assessed?
GT Online is a task-based course. The course covers the core skills and understanding critical to each discipline and will extend students’ higher order thinking. Learning is focused on the achievement of objectives often through problem-solving and critical and creative thinking. Testa are also conducted, both in an online and written format. The student and their School Coordinator organise a suitable time in order that supervision can be provided. Tasks can involve the creation of a ‘product’ which achieves the goal of the task and demonstrates the learning. For each task students receive an outline of what is to be assessed. A mark will be given for each task. An overview of the assessment tasks and weightings for each course are provided at the start of each Semester and always available on the Moodle learning platform.
The GT Online teacher will monitor and assess student progress and report on student achievement. Letters of Commendation and Letters of Concern will be issued to celebrate student progress or indicate areas of underperformance. GT Online interim and semester reports are written by the GT Online teacher and emailed to parents and the home school.
How are tests conducted?
Some testing is conducted online and some by pen and paper. Online testing is usually conducted during a lesson, on secure platforms where teachers can monitor student online access. Supervision of pen and paper tests is organised by the home school GT Online Coordinator.
In order for students to experience formalised group exam conditions, students will usually sit exams during the residential camp in Perth. It is important to prepare and train students for exams, and it is very valuable assessment validation process.
How will studying GT Online impact on other school based subjects?
GT Online classes are timetabled with the principle of minimal interruption to regular school classes. The primary concern is that GT Online lessons do not clash with any of the core subject lessons (Maths, Science, HASS and English), however at times students may be required to leave a class early or arrive late. For the subjects studied in the GT Online Program, students will not be timetabled into mainstream classes. It is very important to work with the GT Online Coordinator at the home-school to inform teachers of any variation to the regular timetable, and to support students to manage what can be a complex schedule. If students miss part of a mainstream class, it will be their responsibility to catch up on what was missed.
If we move to the city at a later date would our child be able to enrol in a GATE program?
Transfers between programs
Students may wish to transfer from the online program to Gifted and Talented academic programs offered in Perth, Albany or Bunbury.
A child wishing to transfer from their current Gifted and Talented online program place has two options:
- The child can apply for entry to their preferred program through the annual testing which involves sitting the ASET for the selected intake year. Further information regarding the application and selection process is available at Gifted and Talented – Department of Education
- The child can lodge a Request for Transfer form*. Transfers can only be considered where the previous ASET TSS/arts/languages score would have qualified for placement at the requested school had they listed it as a preference. The child will be assessed on previous ASET TSS and current school performance and may be required to attend an interview. If the transfer request is made within a current testing cycle, the score will be ranked within the current cohort vying for placement.
*The transfer option only applies to applicants wishing to transfer to a like program (that is, from one academic program to another academic program and not from an academic program to an arts program, for example)
Transfer request forms are available on request by emailing gtsu@education.wa.edu.au.
Please note that all transfers requests are dependent on available vacancies.
For more information call the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit team on 9264 4307 or gtsu@education.wa.edu.au
Is a student able to withdraw from the GT Online program?
The decision to withdraw from the GT Online program should be made in agreement with the parents, GT Online Coordinator and the home school. Students have up to one month to change their mind and are not permitted to opt in and out of the program. Suitable timing of the withdrawal is to be agreed upon by the home school and the GT Online Program Coordinator. If a student withdraws from the program and then wishes to return at a later date, they would need to write a formal request to the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit.
There may be times when it is agreed that a student studying four subjects with GT Online should reduce their load and this decision is made in consultation with the student, teacher, parent, and home school.
What happens to GT Online students after year 10?
The GAT Online program is for Year 7 – 10 only
Years 11 and 12 are studied with the mainstream cohort at the home school or via SIDE
Transfers between programs
Students may wish to transfer from the online program to Gifted and Talented academic programs offered in Perth, Albany or Bunbury
A child wishing to transfer from their current Gifted and Talented online program place has two options:
- The child can apply for entry to their preferred program through the annual testing which involves sitting the ASET for the selected intake year. Further information regarding the application and selection process is available at Gifted and Talented – Department of Education
- The child can lodge a Request for Transfer form*. Transfers can only be considered where the previous ASET TSS/arts/languages score would have qualified for placement at the requested school had they listed it as a preference. The child will be assessed on previous ASET TSS and current school performance and may be required to attend an interview. If the transfer request is made within a current testing cycle, the score will be ranked within the current cohort vying for placement.
*The transfer option only applies to applicants wishing to transfer to a like program (that is, from one academic program to another academic program and not from an academic program to an arts program, for example)
Transfer request forms are available on request by emailing gtsu@education.wa.edu.au.
Please note that all transfers requests are dependent on available vacancies.
For more information call the Gifted and Talented Selection Unit team on 9264 4307 or gtsu@education.wa.edu.au
What are the costs involved?
Two residential camps are run each year in the Perth metropolitan area. These camps are part of the academic program, and though not compulsory, are highly recommended. The cost of the camp is subsidised, but a payment of ~$300 per camp is required. Travel to and from Perth is at your own expense, however a small travel subsidy is available for flight and train travel for distances over 500km.
Students will need to provide their own headset with microphone, though some schools may have a headset for students to loan. A recommended comfortable, durable, quality model is Logitech HP390 that costs ~$100, however many cheaper options are available.
Year 10 Maths/Science students enter into a loan agreement when provided with a tablet and stylus to assist with equation and formula writing. This agreement states;
- I am responsible for replacement costs if equipment is lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen
- If I fail to return the item in good condition by the return due date, a $90 replacement cost will be charged.
When do the camps run?
An end of year camp is planned for 14 –18 November 2022 at Swan Valley Adventure Centre. All Year 6 students who are enrolled in GT Online 2023 will be invited to attend, along with the current Year 7 – 10 students. It is very beneficial for the prospective students to attend to establish connections with their peers and teachers, as well as be introduced to the technology platforms used in the program. Another camp will run mid Term 2 2023.
Will a computer be provided?
A school networked computer is made available by the home school.
Currently a number of students have access to a webcam, however not all. By 2023, it is expected all Year 7 and 8 students will have a webcam available for their use.
Students sharing headsets is a recognised risk for transmission of disease and as of 2023 all students will be expected to purchase their own headset. A recommended comfortable, durable, quality model is Logitech HP390 that costs ~$100, however many cheaper options are available.
Year 10 Maths/Science students enter into a loan agreement when provided with a tablet and stylus to assist with equation and formula writing. This agreement states;
- I am responsible for replacement costs if equipment is lost, damaged, destroyed or stolen
- If I fail to return the item in good condition by the return due date, a $90 replacement cost will be charged.
Will I be required to purchase textbooks?
Many digital resources, including text books, are made available to students on Moodle.
Some books and study materials are loaned to all students and posted to the student directly on commencement of their course.
Graphics calculators are loaned to Maths students in Year 10.
Students are expected to look after these loans and report losses to their teachers immediately. If resources are not returned, parents will need to pay a replacement fee.
Are students able to communicate with other students in the online program?
WebEx lessons allow for students to speak with each other and interact on screen under the direction of the teacher. The Moodle platform provides forums where students can discuss ideas, monitored by the teacher. An important role of the residential camps is to foster positive relationships between students. Very often friendships quickly form and a sense of relief and happiness in finding a group of like-minded peers is experienced. At camp, some students may choose to share their contact details to allow for interaction outside of the educational context.
Listed below are the communication tools approved for use in the GT Online Program during school time. These tools are for educational purposes only and are monitored.
- GT Online Moodle website https://gtonline.learnbook.com.au/
- Webex videoconferencing
- Department of Education emails
A GT Online ICT Acceptable Use Agreement exists to provide guidelines for students and parents to ensure student safety online and includes;
- I understand that I am responsible for all activity in my online services account.
- I will make sure that my online interactions, posts and emails are polite, carefully written and well presented.
The misuse of online services will impact a student’s Good Standing in the program.
GT Online is an online community and many students use a variety of methods outside of school time to keep connected socially and as learning groups. There is benefit to building connection in our online learning community and parents should ensure their child has their permission if they want to access other communication platforms outside of school time, and ensure they are following safe online practices, including explanation of the digital footprint created and encouragement to inform parents if they are uncomfortable with any language or topics raised in these groups. These social group platforms are not approved for use by the Department of Education and cannot be used at school. Links for further information and guidelines on cybersafetyare provided;
For Young People: https://www.esafety.gov.au/young-people
For Parents: https://www.education.wa.edu.au/cyber-safety?redirect=%2Fstudent-health-and-wellbeing
Are there opportunities for parent involvement?
It is a steep learning curve for students to start secondary school and take on a new mode of online learning. Managing the timetable and maintaining a level of organisation takes effort and usually requires support from parents and School Coordinators. A document summarising ten key steps on How to Be a Successful Online Learner has been produced to help guide students towards good habits.
It is important to reassure students that a transitional period of up to 6 months is required to develop an understanding of the personal, social and academic skills required for success in a gifted and talented online program.
Parents are encouraged to access the Moodle learning platform with their child, to explore the learning area programs and how the platform works.
Are the online platforms used safe?
The communication tools used daily for educational purposes are monitored.
- GT Online Moodle website https://gtonline.learnbook.com.au/
- Webex videoconferencing
- Department of Education emails
Webex is a web conferencing tool supported and licenced by the Department of Education. Webex relies on the use of Department of Education log in details for access.
The Moodle Learning Management System is designed to be very secure. Students are enrolled in the platform and provided with a username and password required for login to give them student access to the courses in which they are enrolled. The Department of Education Third Party Services identified Learnbook (Moodle) as a Minimal Risk.
Some online third party services are provided by vendors external to the Department of Education. These services provide functions such as:
- school or student management
- teacher administration
- student learning content or activities
- communication tools.
The level of risk involved with providing personal information to a third pary service has been assessed by the Department of Education and where required information is provided and parent consent obtained for students to use certain programs.
Note that an online eduactional program does have some reliance on the use of third party applications to enhance the learning experience e.g. Mathspace, Gizmos, Education Perfect.
How do I find out about how my child is performing in the program?
A number of reports will be completed by teachers throughout the year and these will be sent to schools and parents.
- Interim/Progress Reports – will be issued towards the end of term one to indicate how a student has settled into the program
- Semester One report –will be issued at the end of term two. This report will be similar to the report received for the subjects studied at the home school and will indicate a grade of achievement for each subject.
- Formal parent interviews by telephone, when requested, after semester reports are received.
- Final report – indicating grades of achievement will be issued at the end of the year.
- Certificates – will be awarded for excellence, merit and encouragement at the end of each semester.
- Informal interviews and communications may be conducted at any time during the year.
The GT Online Coursework: Student Responsibilities document outlines coursework requirements and the processes for recognising high performance and addressing unsatisfactory performance.
Are parents able to communicate with their child’s teachers?
There is a fulltime Program Coordinator who is contactable via phone or email to discuss any queries or concerns. For specific subject area matters, all teachers are contactable via email and a phone call can be scheduled if required.
Student Testimonials
I am loving HASS here at Penrhos but have missed everyone in the GATE community, so I thought I’d reach out to see how things are. In semester 1, I got dux for both history and economics and have been thoroughly enjoying both and I started a geographical inquiry on Friday. I also wanted to personally thank you, as you truly were an incredible teacher and I have had a huge advantage coming into year 10 after doing GATE. ( Sarah 3 years GT Online)
I am emailing you to express my appreciation for preparing me for year 11 ATAR English. Due to the rigorous work ethic needed to succeed in the GATE program, as well as the variety of tasks that require analytical thinking, I was pleasantly surprised when I realised that year 11 ATAR English was actually easier than GATE English. The self-driven nature of GATE provided a seamless transition to ATAR. Nathan and I are at the top of our class and both performed very well in the semester two exams (with Nathan at the top). Once again, thank you for all the feedback and wisdom you imparted over the years, I daresay it has paid off.
The GT Online program for me has been life changing! I get to associate with peers who have the academic abilities that I do, and are the type of friends who leave a positive and lasting impact. I love how the lessons are enriching and challenging, which is exactly what I need to fuel my hunger for knowledge. The program is a fantastic initiative and I am very grateful for having the opportunity to be involved.
The opportunity to be in the GT Online program has been nothing short of amazing. I have had opportunities that I couldn’t of imagined before commencing in the program in 2019. And, although it has been only 18 months, I have learnt so many learning skills feel very prepared with content as I move into Year 11.
I wanted to thankyou for this great opportunity of being in GATE, I have made so many great friends that I’ hopefully going to keep for a long time. The kids in GATE are some of the best you can come across, and the teachers are really supportive. I’ve only been able to be in GATE for a year and yet I feel like I’ve learnt more in that one year than in my whole primary years. My teachers have challenged me and shown me how to do problems like linear equations that I never thought I would understand. I wish my class the best for the future and when they graduate in year 10. I’m going to miss them so much as well as my teachers.
Being in the GT Online program has inspired me and from it I have gained extraordinary knowledge and experience that help define who I am.
This program has helped extend me so much and the teachers are awesome. Also as the classes are small in number it is easy to ask for any clarification, help, etc.
Through out this term, going to an English online class has always been a joy, your anecdotes always brighten up my day and put a smile on my face, your encouragement and belief in us gave me confidence in myself and the knowledge you give will be crucial to my future. I am incredibly grateful to have such a cool, humorous and sweet teacher like you and I will not ever regret being in the GT Online English program.
I just got my results back for my first ATAR economics test and I scored 80% thanks to last year’s GT Online course!
I am very thankful for the four years I did and the experience that GATE was because it has set me up for success in senior school (which I am sure you’ve heard from every other past student – but it’s trueeee!). Every week I come to realise more and more how beneficial the stuff I’ve already done is helping me and how I’m way ahead in a lot of the English and History skills. I do miss GATE quite bit though. The community is so enjoyable in GATE……. good camaraderie and wholesome community. We always spent time talking and communicating in lessons and on Moodle and the banter was so good. I still keep in contact with all the other GATE kids …. This is all a bit of rambling, but I guess what I’m saying is I very much appreciate GATE, miss it lots, and would urge you guys to never change the great community building which the program does so well.
I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for the impact made on me during my three years of GATE. Your awesome teaching style leaves me with more understanding of topics than I realise and it’s pushed me to give my best in my humanities subjects, and as a result I’ve done some of my best work in history and geography starting off my first semester of Year 10. At the start of year seven I’d have said Humanities was seriously scary, completely foreign and very confusing, but with a few years in GATE I’ve come to really enjoy humanities and I’m going to try my luck with Modern History next year (something I thought would never happen).
Parent Testimonials
I just wanted to send a big thank you to you all for your work with and support over this first term. The students really enjoyed the GATE experience and learnt heaps. Most importantly, they both have a better understanding of the organisational and self-motivational skills required to be successful, not just with GATE but with the rest of their school subjects and life in general.
We live in a pretty small community ….. GATE also gives them an opportunity to interact with some people outside of the local bubble.
She’s an amazing girl and works very hard towards her goals but this could never have been possible without her encouraging and supportive teachers! So we would like to extend a special thanks to all you amazing teachers for being there with her at every step. She’s truly blessed to have each one of you!
Sarah’s participation in GATE for HASS and English has been a great privilege and an amazing opportunity for her to extend her skills and knowledge and we have no doubt her GATE experience will stand her in good stead for preparation next year.
My daughter has been in the GT Online program for 3 years. Living remotely, we are so thankful that this program has been available to her. It has enabled her to connect with like minded students who are dedicated and want to learn. She has learnt to communicate with the other students and her teachers online which will prepare her for future online learning. The friendships and connections that she has made all over WA has certainly made her feel less isolated. Attending the GT Online Camp in Perth twice a year is the highlight of her year!
Our daughter has been involved in the GT Online programme for Years 7, 8 & 9. She has benefitted so much from academic extension in the Humanities. She loves her online sessions and looks forward to the camp every semester. We are really thankful that bright country kids can have these opportunities.
My four children participated in the GT on line program with the youngest two still currently enrolled in the program in year 8 and year 10. My eldest began the program in year 8 in 2012 and my second son began, also in year 8, in 2014. I have found the program to be well organised, with great leadership and dedicated teachers and an education program that suits my children’s needs without them having to move away from home to attend Perth Modern. The camps are a highlight that they look forward to, an opportunity to meet up with their teachers face to face and mingle with their likeminded peers form around the state.
They are given the opportunity to enter and compete in numerous competitions in various learning areas. Both my sons entered and were successful in being selected to attend the Premiers ANZAC student tour, which was an amazing opportunity for them. Transitioning to year 11 and 12 in the classroom at ASHS after they finished with the GT on line program came smoothly and both boys went on to become academic Dux of year 12 at ASHS. They are both now currently studying at the Australian National University with my eldest being successful in gaining the prestigious Tuckwell Scholarship when he began his studies in 2017. I have no doubt that studying with the GT online program in years 8 – 10 has significantly impacted on their success, aiding them to be highly self motivated learners. They were provided with learning opportunities that were at their level and learnt to responsible for their own learning.
I just wanted to say it is being a great experience for Matilda doing GT online we are so impressed with how well the program is delivered & run. You guys are doing an awesome job. Thanks for being so well organised and we look forward to next semester.
Being there that evening re-enforced how special GT Online really is and brought back so many special memories!
We will always be in debt to you, for the invaluable contribution to Mary’s education. I think it had given her an unfair advantage amongst her class mates this year at her new school.
Gifted and Talented Online in WA
