Opportunity Class (OC) program

What are opportunity classes?

Opportunity classes help students to learn by grouping them with students of similar ability and using specialised evidence-based teaching methods. These settings aim to meet the intellectual needs of the students by moving through curricula at a faster pace and allowing students to explore concepts in more depth and with greater complexity.

Research demonstrates that grouping high potential and gifted students together has academic benefits and is also good for emotional wellbeing. The majority of students in opportunity classes report higher levels of satisfaction from learning with, and being friends with, like-minded students.. Students still follow the NSW curriculum, but teachers may use special teaching methods for high potential and gifted learners. From 2027, within each co-educational opportunity class there will be an equal number of places available for girls and boys.

At Mona Vale PS, we have two OC classes. Students enter the program in Year 5 and remain with the same 30 students into Year 6. The OC classes collaborate closely with each other and with their respective grades.

Placement test

The placement test is designed to assess your child’s abilities in reading, thinking and maths. The questions draw upon concepts from the NSW curriculum up to Year 4 that your child learns at school. We review all questions to make sure students do not need any extra knowledge.

It is important to know that coaching or tutoring for the placement test is not necessary. The test will not need your child to know any new or special knowledge. Therefore, extra paid coaching outside of school will not give your child an advantage.

The department does not recommend or endorse coaching for the placement test. There is no credible research that shows coaching helps a child gain entry. A child who is coached and gains entry, is likely to have been placed without being coached. Also, many students who receive coaching still do not get accepted. In fact, too much coaching can harm a student’s wellbeing.

Is selective education the right fit for your child?

Does your child:

• enjoy learning
• have intense curiosity
• display a good memory
• ask complex questions
• require fewer repetitions when learning new things
• display creative ways of thinking
• become intensely focused in their area of interest or passion?

If some of these sound like your child, an opportunity class might be a good fit.

How to apply for entry into our opportunity class

How do I apply? Parents apply during the application period online:

The application period for 2027 entry is from 6 November 2025 to 20 February 2026.

Perspective: Our current Year 5 OC students

Transition

Getting into an Opportunity Class (OC) in NSW is like joining a special school club for super smart kids! It's a fun place where you get to learn cool new things with other students who love a challenge, just like you. Moving schools can feel like a mix of excitement and nervousness, kind of like starting a brand new level in a video game you've never played before.

I did lots of things to transition into the OC. The current OC  classes ran school tours, we saw their projects, and learnt about what we can do in OC, and the potential things we could do. Being in the OC stopped being scary, and started being an adventure, a way to make new friends.

The transition from being in a normal curricular class to an Opportunity Class was a huge change to my schooling because the sudden change of work definitely extended me more than a normal class.

Expanding knowledge is something that our trained teachers are fantastic at. They are able to make lessons entertaining and fun but also challenging for students at Mona Vale PS.

Collaboration

We collaborate as a class. While doing classwork and projects and working as a team  we build mutual respect, communication skills, problem solving.

We collaborate with the Year 6 OC a lot. Each term we do a project. This year we had Da Vinci Decathlon in Term One,  a Writing Project in Term Two, Debating in Term 3, and a biography project, MAD CAPA  this term. All of these projects helped us learn  how to deliver effective feedback, be open to other people and their ideas, how to collaborate, and learn as a team. We became friends with the Year Sixes, and hung out with them at recess and lunch.

HPGE programs

The HPGE activities are so important because they expand our knowledge from the vast range of knowing we already have stored in our wonderfully formed brains. Some extra activities our school takes part in are:

• Da Vinci decathlon (an academic competition across 10 disciplines including engineering and art)

• MAD CAPA'S (a project that both our OC classes take part in where they research a person who made an impact on the world within the Creative and Performing Arts area)

• interschool's Debating Challenge

• extra curricular Problem Solving

• STAN NSW (science project)

• we also enter various writing competitions, including the What Matters Writing Competition, and the WriteOn Competition. Additionally, we entered the Slam Poem Competition, and one of our students competed in the state finals on Friday.

Curriculum

The Opportunity Class (OC) curriculum moves beyond the mainstream structure to provide a highly engaging educational experience that caters specifically to gifted students' advanced learning needs. Instead of just "more work," the curriculum offers greater depth and complexity, allowing students to tackle abstract ideas, engage in critical inquiry, and pursue open-ended projects that encourage deep analysis and creative problem-solving. This approach keeps students intellectually stimulated, challenged, and deeply involved in their learning process.

Being in Year Five, we have to do all the regular assessments the mainstream kids do and we have to read all the novels that they  do. But, being OC, we often finish the novel in half the time limit, and then do additional projects on it.

School life

School life is a busy, vibrant experience filled with a mix of learning, friendship, challenges, and fun. In the classroom, days are spent engaging with subjects like reading, maths, science, and history. Students collaborate on projects, discuss big ideas with their teachers, and develop essential skills like problem-solving and critical thinking.

Outside of lessons, school life extends into vibrant activities that define the experience. Students participate in HPGE programs like the Da Vinci Decathlon or debating challenges, join sports teams for physical activity and teamwork, or perform in creative arts ensembles and musicals.

Lunch breaks are often a social highlight, a time to relax, play games, and strengthen friendships. This blend of academic rigour, extracurricular activities, and social interaction helps students build resilience, discover passions, and create lasting memories, all while preparing them for the future.

Being in OC is one of the best things that ever happened to me. You will connect with like minded people, learning and growing together. Regular people don’t always understand just how clever we are. We come from being the nerd in our old school, to being valued and supported here. It is such an uplifting environment, full of games and laughter, and endless discussions over favourite books. OC is the best.

Life at Mona Vale is very interesting. We all succeed in different areas, and strive for success. We all try really hard to do well and be our best.