Tough test challenging gifted kids like Shane Descleves-Montgomery who are aiming for Perth Modern School

Shane Descleves-Montgomery knows just how tough it is to make it through the selection process for a gifted and talented program in a WA public school. The 12-year-old missed out on a place at academically-selective Perth Modern School for this year by just half a point — although the same score would have easily got him in last year. While he is excited to be starting Year 7 in a selective program at Fremantle College in February, it shows just how competitive it is to win a spot at WA’s most sought-after school. “We were over the moon, it was a really good score,” Shane’s mother Sibylle said. “If it had been last year, he would have got into Perth Modern, so it was a bit disappointing there.” The cut-off score for Perth Modern was 247.2 on the entrance exam held in March last year — up from 242.52 the previous year. Ms Descleves-Montgomery said she opted for tutoring because the test format was so different from anything Shane had done before. “Time management is not really taught either at school,” she said. “I don’t understand why they keep saying you don’t need preparation for it, because it’s so hard.” She said Shane enjoyed going to classes at Loyola Tutoring for most of Year 5 and his first few weeks of Year 6, before he sat the selection test in March. “They had January off, and then in February they did a whole month of mock tests,” she said. “I think he really learnt more than he did at school. There was a little group of 12 kids who were there for a reason. “It’s a bit more challenging and interesting compared to being at school with 30 other kids.” The family lives in Leda, south of Kwinana, so Shane will travel up to two hours a day to attend Fremantle College instead of a local school.