The academically selective school that is the focus of this paper is centrally located in the capital city of one Australian state.The school’s website states that the school “combines its strong and relevant traditions with a well-defined ethos and man-date to provide a differentiated curriculum that develops the skills and abilities of academically gifted students”. Selection of students for entry into this academically selective school is based on the results of the Academic Selective Entrance Test coordinated by the state Department of Education for all gifted and talented programme applicants. The test includes individual assessments in the areas of mathematics and science, language, writing and non-verbal reasoning.