Does your child struggle to reach their full potential in class? The Arrowsmith program may be the answer.

Year 6 student Amelie Kovse always struggled to keep up in the classroom until she found the Arrowsmith Program.

“I thought that I was stupid, that something was wrong with me – that I would keep failing in all of my subjects,” Amelie, now aged 15, recalled.

Then her mother heard about the Arrowsmith Program, which was coming to Amelie’s school at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary Mosman.

“Like magic, I was getting A’s and B’s in maths, English and science, compared to D’s and C’s,” Amelie said proudly.

Because of the Arrowsmith Program, Amelie’s life took a turn for the better and she can now honestly say she is succeeding in high school.

Amelie said she is keeping up with the school workload, understands the lessons and has even topped one of her maths assessments.

“Because suddenly she is achieving things on a daily basis, her self-confidence has shot up,” Amelie’s mother, Jadwiga, said.

For Amelie, taking part in the Arrowsmith Program has been life-altering and she now has big ambitions for the future. She dreams of being a scientist/biologist who finds cures for diseases, or a veterinarian.

“Arrowsmith has truly changed my life,” Amelie said. “Now I can definitely see myself going somewhere.”

What is the Arrowsmith Program?

Offered through three schools in the Sydney Catholic Schools system, Arrowsmith is best described as a cognitive strengthening program.

To put it simply, specialist teachers work with identified students to help develop and strengthen new neural pathways in their brain, in response to direct and targeted stimulation.

“Arrowsmith has truly changed my life” – Amelie Kovse 

Students most likely to benefit from this program have specific learning difficulties.

“Students may find it really hard to read, to write, to spell; sometimes they have difficulty with language,” Mary-Anne Thorne, Sydney Catholic Schools’ Supervisor: Specific Learning Difficulties, explained.

“Students may find it really hard to read, to write, to spell; sometimes they have difficulty with language” – Mary-Anne Thorne

“Many students with specific learning difficulties have ADHD (short for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder),” Ms Thorne said.

The program was created by Canadian author Barbara Arrowsmith Young, following her own struggles to overcome severe learning disabilities.

Where is the Arrowsmith Program offered?

Sydney Catholic Schools has been running the Arrowsmith Program since 2015.

It is offered at Sacred Heart Catholic Primary School Mosman and Holy Innocents’ Catholic Primary School Croydon as a full-time integrated program in the school community and as a part-time, after-school program at Casimir Catholic College Marrickville.

“These three sites support students from a diversity of backgrounds and with a diversity of learning difficulties,” Sydney Catholic Schools’ Director of Education and Research, Dr Kate O’Brien, said.

“The staff are amazing educators who liaise closely with the families to ensure the program is implemented to maximum benefit.”

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To find out more about the Arrowsmith Program and if it might benefit your child’s individual learning journey, visit our Arrowsmith Program.