Abraham Lincoln left the world with the message that “The best way to predict the future is to create it.”

Presbyterian Ladies’ College (PLC) Sydney, are providing all the tools to help young boys and girls do just that.

Their dedicated Futures Extension Program and tutoring services are designed to help promising students create the brightest futures.

The PLC Sydney Futures Centre provides a holistic approach to nurturing a child’s budding interests, through weekly Saturday afternoon sessions focussed on extension activities for gifted students, as well as one-on-one tutoring and mentoring services. 

The Futures Centre at PLC Sydney offers one of the longest-running extension and enrichment programs in Australia and can proudly say they have extensive experience in providing additional learning opportunities for students.

What’s the secret to their long-running success?

Love. As cliche as it might sound, their genuine compassion and care for each student, and an unwavering drive from all staff to help their students achieve, is unparalleled.

 

Enrichment Program for Gifted Students

Students who desire to be challenged might be a good fit for PLC Sydney’s Enrichment Program for Gifted Students. 

Open to primary school boys and girls who have been assessed and identified as gifted, this weekly extension program allows students to interact with other like-minded students who think like they do, in a stimulating and fun environment. 

Ms Barnett says parents often tell her the three hours their child spends in Saturday’s Enrichment Program can translate to improved mood, engagement and performance throughout the rest of the week. 

“Very often, gifted students can have social challenges, so providing an environment where they feel they belong, can have a knock-on positive effect in other areas of their lives.”

Ms Barnett says each term the teaching staff choose different topics based on the students’ interests and needs. She says mysteries are always popular, with the Bermuda Triangle a favourite research topic among the children. 

“Our differentiated learning approach means we assess, identify strengths and adapt learning based on individual needs. For example, if a child isn’t interested in writing, then we might get them to draw instead. But underpinning all the learning is that we want the children to have fun.”

 

Tutoring to support your child’s future

Director of PLC Sydney Futures Centre, Rowena Barnett, says the bespoke way in which they approach each child’s learning, is what consistently produces the best outcomes for students. 

“Most of our tutoring sessions are one-to-one, which means we are wholly student-centred, and curate their learning based on their individual needs and goals. Then we work out a personalised plan to work towards those specific goals,” says Ms Barnett.

“There is no one-size-fits-all learning in our tutoring services. We often have parents tell us how impressed they’ve been with our attention to detail and individual learning style. 

The Futures Centre caters for students who might have some gaps in their knowledge and need more foundational tutoring. On the other end of the spectrum, it caters for students who are excelling in class but want to go further.

Currently PLC Sydney Futures Centre primarily offers one-to-one tutoring, but they can cater for small groups when students are at the same learning level and all parties consent. They are also looking into specialised weekend classes, where they tackle a particular theme or subject in a small group setting. 

PLC Sydney Future’s Centre Tutoring is open to boys and girls from any school. While it turned virtual during the pandemic lockdown, face-to-face tutoring is returning in 2022. 

“Feedback from both our families and our tutors is that everybody prefers in person care. However, if a student needs to isolate, we will be adopting a hybrid model and providing virtual sessions as well, so that they can continue to learn, if required. 

“And because we are student-centred, we can be flexible in our approach to scheduling. For example, if school camp is on in week three, we can add in a replacement session in week two or four, so the student doesn’t fall behind.”

 

Outcomes of attending PLC Sydney Futures Centre

Whether your child attends the Enrichment Program for Gifted Students or engages in tutoring, they are bound to receive more than just the tools to answer a specific question. They are taught problem-solving skills that they can apply to the rest of their life.  

“Our aim isn’t just to ‘get them through school’, rather, we want to instil in them a love for life-long learning.”

 

How to enrol your child

Visit the PLC Sydney website to find more information on how you can help your child improve their education through tutoring, or build on their gifts through enrichment classes at the PLC Sydney Futures Centre.