Message from the Principal

Lynda McInnes
Principal

A welcome from our Principal

I would like to welcome you to Dara School for Gifted Children. We are firmly committed to providing a supportive, challenging, and nurturing environment for gifted children.

This school has been my dream for many years, and I am humbled and proud to be the first principal. As a mother and specialist educator of gifted students of many years’ standing, I have had extensive first hand experience of the passions and challenges of gifted children and teenagers. These experiences have created in me a deep passion for working with gifted students in a school setting, designed for them to flourish as gifted individuals.

Dara School is dedicated to understanding and empowering children across different stages of development. From their first day at Dara School, your child is valued for who they are. We encourage and celebrate every child’s abilities and achievements and use these as a springboard for further development.

Our school’s vision is for our students to grow into adults who have integrity: who strive for excellence; and are empowered with a sense of purpose. We will encourage our students’ unique gifts, and will work alongside them to develop a growing sense of optimism for the future. Our staff support each student in exercising empathy. We encourage students to develop a sense of social justice, as well as valuing the diverse cultures that exist in our world.

Dara School cultivates your child’s love of learning and curiosity –these being essential habits for an intellectual, creative life. Our broad learning environment promotes academic excellence through specialist teaching and harnesses the gifts and talents of students and staff alike, through the facilitation of personalised learning programs and a student-centred approach. With this environment comes an expectation that our students will commit themselves fully to all areas of learning.

Our school’s mission is to recognise the affective strengths and needs of all gifted learners by supporting and cultivating their growth as enquiring and engaged students. At Dara School we focus on the relationship between educator’s and students, and foster collaboration between staff, students, parents and the wider community. We also draw on local and international experts to ensure our students have access to appropriate, highly knowledgeable mentors. The research shows that these approaches will inspire lifelong learners, expert communicators and world-class innovative thinkers.

If you have any further questions, please contact us.