P&C Federation is co-hosting this webinar with the NSW Department of Education to provide parents and carers information about applying for opportunity classes.

The webinar will cover:
• What are opportunity classes? Where are they located?
• How the application website is accessed and what its functions are
• Testing including:
– allocation of students to test centres
– disability and reasonable adjustments
– preparing for the test
– during the test
• Illness/misadventure and malpractice
• Selection committees
• Notification of outcome
• Appeals

To learn more about opportunity classes, please visit https://education.nsw.gov.au/public-schools/selective-high-schools-and-opportunity-classes

The following panel will be at the webinar to share information and answer your questions:

•  Magda Pollak, Leader, High Performing Students Team, NSW Department of Education
•  Lily Barclay, Manager, Opportunity Class Placement, High Performing Students Team, NSW Department of Education

There will be the opportunity for you to ask questions of the panellists at the end of the webinar presentation. You can also submit your questions before the webinar, when you register to attend. The cut off for pre-submitted questions will be 12:00 pm on 27 April.

Register now for this webinar. If you can’t attend, the webinar will be recorded, and all registrants will be notified once the recording is available for viewing.

We look forward to you joining this webinar and encourage you to promote the webinar through your local school communities.

Magda Pollak PSM
Leader, High Performing Students Team, Department of Education

Magda Pollak has led the High Performing Students Team since 2005. She has spent almost 20 years as a high school English Teacher and has two publications for English teaching staff to her name. She has always had a special interest in the education of gifted students and is particularly passionate about providing a suitable peer group and teaching environment for highly gifted students who could find themselves isolated in mainstream classes and might then become disengaged. She is also committed to ensuring equal opportunity of access for disadvantaged groups and has received a Public Service Medal in recognition of her services to public education.

Lily Barclay
Manager, Opportunity Class Placement, High Performing Students Team, Department of Education

Lily Barclay has held a number of teaching and leadership roles with the NSW Department of Education in a career spanning more than 30 years. She has taught students from preschool to Year 6 in a number of NSW schools across a range of settings and has held a number of leadership positions including executive teacher, assistant principal and principal.

Lily is currently the Manager, Opportunity Class Placement with the High Performing Students Team and has been part of the team since 2008. She facilitates the placement of high potential and gifted students into opportunity classes and selective high schools across NSW.