Virtual School Victoria is delivering the Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) to high-ability students in Years 5-8, at all Victorian State Schools.
VHAP consists of ten-week online courses in Mathematics and English for both primary and secondary levels. Students engage in synchronous Webex classes with their teachers. They can also engage with the course material on VSV Online outside of the class time.
VHAP started in Term 4, 2020, as part of the State Government’s $60.2 million investment in the new Student Excellence Program. Due to the success of the program, VHAP has been extended and will now continue through to Term 4, 2025. By the end of 2025, it is expected that 85,000 students will participate in this exciting new challenge and extension program.
The VHAP classroom provides students with the opportunity to:
- explore and express their ideas freely
- make their own decisions about their work
- be inspired and challenged by each other
- gain confidence in their choices and abilities
- feel excited by their learning.
In the VHAP English course, we explore links between reality and fiction by observing the world around us and our journeys into fictional worlds. VHAP English empowers students through cultivating confidence and a willingness to take academic risks.
In the VHAP maths course, students embrace the “why” of maths, not just the “what”. Students and teachers dive into the philosophical implications of mathematical topics.
There are opportunities for differentiation within the course. Students can choose to work at a pace comfortable for them or be extended.
VHAP promotes development of key skills such as teamwork, collaboration and resilience.
The program is a safe space for high-ability students to stretch their wings, encounter change and challenge, and confront fears around making “mistakes.”
Please click HERE to view some of the exceptional writing of our VHAP students.