Every Thursday during school for the past two years Sanna Eriksson, James Wilson and Eugenie Thomas have gathered at Farmborough Road Public School to be part of Wollongong's Academically Gifted Class.
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There, along with 27 other year 5 and 6 students from various Illawarra schools, they do high-level algebra, analyse professional plays, complete engaging projects and take part in exciting, high-level excursions to the University of Wollongong or Wollongong Hospital.
A spot in the class - which is designed to extend and challenge students who are identified as gifted by their home school - is highly sought after, with more than 200 students submitting applications to sit an entrance test every year.
The demand is for good reason.
Most of the year 6 students in this year's class - including Sanna, James and Eugenie - will reunite next year at Smith's Hill High School, the region's only academically selective high school.
However, the students say the benefits of attending go beyond the academic.
Sanna, from Woonona East Public School, said she liked being "treated differently" while attending the class.
"The environment in the class is heaps different because everyone gets to say what they want and what they think," she said.
Children are encouraged to work independently on projects of their choosing, sit in different configurations and are allowed to take lunch breaks when they feel they need it.
James, from Thirroul Public School, said he had benefited from studying a wide range of topics and taking part in excursions and activities.
"I've learnt a lot of things about algebra, science and inventions and I love going on excursions and seeing performances," he said.
"It has helped me to find out what's happening in the world."
Program co-ordinator Chester Meurant said the class was ideal for gifted students because it extended their already high abilities.
"If they are left alone they are going to move at the speed of the average student, and they are not the average student," he said.
"[In the class] they are doing extension and enrichment and are having direct contact with practical demonstrations they are learning about."
After two years Mr Meurant said students became independent and were able to "deal with their giftedness" as they progressed into high school.
"They become independent learners; they are capable of operating alone and it means they should be able to take a topic [and] research it, work it up and evaluate it - they don't need to be nurtured any more," he said.
Eugenie, who attends Wollongong Public School, has no doubt her two years in the class will pay off in the future.
"We just learn more things that most people would learn later on in high school," she said. "It's helped me experience things I probably would never have done and has taught me so much."
