High Ability Programs at Greensborough College

At each stage of a student’s secondary education journey, Greensborough College provides access to a unique suite of programs for high ability and high performing students, which allows students to participate in a range of both internal and external sequences of learning aimed at addressing their specific learning needs. Students are supported by the High Ability Coordinator and selected teachers to support them in their studies.  There are no additional costs for families associated with High Ability Programs.

High Achievers Programs - Junior School

Maths and English

Based on assessments undertaken during orientation, identified students will be invited to join either a specialised high ability Maths and /or English class in Year 7.

Students who consistently perform at an acknowledged high level will then be invited to remain in the selected high achievers class in Year 8.

Victorian High Ability Programs (VHAP)

Maths and English

The Victorian High-Ability Program (VHAP) is an enrichment program that addresses the needs of high-ability students to engage with challenging material in English or Mathematics.

Each term, eligible students in Year 7 and 8 are selected by the Department of Education to participate in a 10-week program, facilitated by the school’s High Ability Practice Co Ordinator.

The program consists of 10 x 1 hour online lessons, run through Virtual Schools Victoria as part of the Student Excellence Unit.

The lessons are conducted during school hours and the times alternate so that students do not miss out on the same class every week.

Teachers can also nominate high-achieving students (English and/or mathematics) to participate in the program.

High Achievers Programs - Senior School

Centre For Higher Education Studies (Year 9 -12)

Launching in 2022, the Centre for Higher Education Studies (CHES) is a new centre of excellence designed to further improve educational outcomes for high-achieving and high-ability students across Victoria.  CHES provides accelerated programs for senior students from government secondary schools.

Greensborough College will support applications for high-achieving students and assist them in submitting an application to CHES for selection to participate in their chosen academic program.

Year 10 Electives:

CHES offers specialised electives for high-achieving Year 10 students. Each of these electives are one semester in length and are accessed via flexible study options. Students can study one elective each semester.

Students at Greensborough College can undertake a Year 10 CHES Elective in place of a school-based elective. If students are accepted into the CHES subject, they will be provided with a support teacher and dedicated study sessions to facilitate their involvement in the program.

In 2025, the CHES electives are:

• Research Matters - Foundations of VCE Extended Investigation
• Critical Thinking for Creative Minds - Foundations of VCE Extended Investigation
• Introduction to Algorithmics - Foundations of VCE Algorithmics
• LingoLab: Unveiling the Wonders of Real-world Language - Foundations of VCE English Language

VCE Subjects (Year 11 & 12):

Students can undertake a VCE study through CHES, while enrolled at Greensborough College, as a part of their overall VCE program.

The subjects offered are:

• VCE Algorithmics (Units 3 & 4)
• VCE Extended Investigation (Units 3 & 4)
• VCE English Language (Units 1 – 4)
• VCE Specialist Maths (Units 1 – 4)

All students who apply and are accepted to undertake a VCE Subject through CHES will have a dedicated support teacher at Greensborough College to facilitate their participation and progress through the program.  These programs are completed through a combination of in-person workshops and online learning.

Higher Education Studies (HES) – Year 12

Higher Education Studies (HES) are first-year university subjects designed to extend high-achieving students as part of a student’s VCE program.  

Through CHES, an extensive range of university subjects are offered by a Victorian universities. Participation in these subjects varies between universities.  Some subjects are in-person, others via online studies or a combination of the two. 

There are a range of benefits to a student successfully completing a university. subject.  If a student successfully completes the subject, this may add from 3 to 5 points to their ATAR from the successfully completed subject.

The HES Subjects available for 2025 include:

Aboriginal Studies & Anthropology

Accounting

Biological Science

Climate Change

Construction Management

Disability, Diversity & Inclusion

Educating for the Future

Health Science

History

Human Biosciences

Information Technology

Introduction to Psychology

Law

Maths & Analysis

Mathematics

Physics

Philosophy & Economics

Psychology

Psychological Sciences

Public Relations

Space Industry

Sport Management

Sustainable Development & Innovation Ecosystems

Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (Whole School)

The Victorian Challenge and Enrichment Series (VCES) provides funded extension activities for high-ability and interested students in Victorian government schools from Prep to Year 12. Within the series, education expert partners are delivering a suite of face-to-face and virtual incursions and excursions, such as workshops, tutorials, conferences, lectures and competitions, across all areas of the curriculum that are free of charge.

All subject teachers have access to the information on these programs and will select relevant activities at various stages throughout the school year.

For any further enquiries please contact Andrew Ericksen, Learning Specialist - Literacy & Numeracy on 9433-2666.