14 Nov 2014
A significant number of the enrolments for the State's new Aurora College, a partially-selective virtual high school, have come from Dubbo College.
More than 20 students from the three campuses of Dubbo College make up about 13 per cent of the virtual high school's 2015 cohort.
Aurora College has been developed to cater for gifted and talented students from Years 7 to 10, and for Year 11 and 12 students wanting to study subjects unavailable at their home schools.
The new college caters specifically for rural and remote students, and follows on from the success of the xsel Virtual Selective High School Provision, which has operated in western New South Wales for the past five years.
Manager of xsel Pauline Freeburn said the Provision had achieved great outcomes for students and as a result the model had been extended state wide.
"The xsel Provision has demonstrated that it is possible to develop and work effectively with high achievers in a virtual class environment and many of our students will now transfer across to the new Aurora College," Ms Freeburn said.
"In xsel our students were able to stay in their home schools and study mathematics, science and English in a selective stream with students from throughout the west.
"Improved results in these subjects also positively translate to other subjects being studied.
"Students learn to work independently, to be highly organised and to manage their time effectively.
"Aurora College will follow the same model and will continue to work to produce highly effective learners who will go on to be very competitive at tertiary level."
Dubbo College Delroy Campus science teacher Emmeline Smith will join a college staff of 60 and will teach the 55-strong Year 7 cohort when the school opens in 2015.
"The real advantage of this school is that our students are able to stay in their home communities and at their local schools while simultaneously accessing selective courses in maths, science and English," she said.
"But there are also benefits to teachers in terms of their professional learning and they in turn will be able to pass on their skills to other teachers in their home schools."
Dubbo College South Campus principal Darryl Thompson said being able to keep the most outstanding students in their home communities, where they could contribute to all aspects of life, was the major advantage of a facility like Aurora College.
Current Year 5 students have until Monday November 17 to register online for the NSW selective schools test, which determines entry to Aurora College for Year 7, 2016.