The South Australian schools that offer specialist programs for gifted students

South Australia has dozens of public schools that offer specialised programs for gifted students in fields as diverse as music, languages and sport. SEARCH THE FULL LIST

Marryatville music teacher Jasmin Feneley with music students Clara Gillan-Grant (cello), Alex Lee (trombone), Claire Challender (clarinet), Solomon Young (saxophone), Lizzie Zeuner (viola) and Kaynan Mallia (double bass). Picture: Mark Brake

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A group of Marryatville High School teachers love their jobs so much they continue after school hours and play on through the night.

When the school bell rings for the end of the day, the school’s seven music teachers kick on — tutoring some of the state’s best young talent in class is just a warm-up for their various ensemble commitments.

Marryatville High School head of music Aldis Sils said being a professional musician kept teachers focused. “In our own time and weekends we play or conduct and work in the community, for example I was in the State Opera,’’ he said.

It is the sort of passion SA’s “special interest” public schools bring for hundreds of students every day.

The school is one of dozens featured by The Advertiser today as part of a searchable database for parents and students looking to make the most of their special talents.

To explore this table, search by either school name, program (ie languages) or specific speciality (ie French) — or click the arrows to sort each category in alphabetical order.

The best news for talented students is this system allows those who audition to bypass the normally strict suburb zone system, which many schools like Marryatville have to limit intake.

Mr Sils said this could mean two bus trips as students follow their dreams across many suburbs each day.

“We have had students from Nairne in the hills or up from Port Adelaide, but down south they will go to Brighton which is also (a) specialist (school).”

For around 120 music students at Marryatville it means around 10 lessons out of 35 each week are devoted to the topic.

Forty per cent of the students, on average, will go on to study it at a tertiary level.

There are 19 music specialist school in SA, 17 for sport, five each for language and entrepreneurship, four for academically gifted students, three for rowing, two for arts and one for agriculture.