Versant Learning - with Daniel Judd

Congratulations to Corpus Christi Catholic School, St Ives on their success in the Da Vinci Decathlon. An incredible achievement and a testament to the students’ creativity, critical thinking, teamwork and depth of knowledge across a wide range of disciplines.

The Da Vinci Decathlon is one of the most engaging and intellectually challenging academic competitions available for gifted students, encouraging genuine collaboration, problem solving and interdisciplinary thinking. It's one of those programs that I wish that I had been involved in when I was at the chalkface.

Schools that value and celebrate academic excellence in this way should be recognised for their commitment to the education of their students.

𝗗𝗔 𝗩𝗜𝗡𝗖𝗜 𝗗𝗘𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗛𝗟𝗢𝗡 𝗦𝗨𝗖𝗖𝗘𝗦𝗦

We are excited to announce that our Years 5 and 6 team who competed in the NSW State da Vinci Decathlon last week at Knox Grammar School placed 𝟱𝘁𝗵 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗡𝗦𝗪 𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗼𝗼𝗹𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝟲 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀.

This is an exceptional result from our students.

Over 12,000 students from Years 5 to 11 competed in the NSW Competition with schools participating from metropolitan and regional NSW.

Congratulations on a well-deserved academic accolade, Corpus!

Woo!

Another one of my exstudents!

There's so many opportunities for debaters while they're at school...

No spoilers please but let me know if it was easy or hard! I am terrible at judging how tricky these will be.

On Wednesday (22 Apr), I had the opportunity to present to a group of more than 300 Mensa parents on a topic I care deeply about - the value of cocurricular programs in supporting gifted students.

I've now uploaded the slides from that session here: [ https://drive.google.com/file/d/14KJ0PAfz8-5eLK3ACfO5fI7U8mR5yosq/view?usp=sharing ].

My main point is this: the biggest difference for gifted children often comes down to access to the right environments, the right people, and the right opportunities. They need places where they can be challenged, connect with like-minded peers, and develop a sense of identity and belonging.

Cocurricular opportunities, whether at school or beyond, are often where this happens. Good school leaders are mindful of this, not just for individual students, but for the culture of the whole school.

If you can, support and advocate for the cocurricular programs your school offers. At the same time, there are valuable opportunities outside of school as well (including my own programs in debating and public speaking).

This presentation explores why cocurricular programs should not be seen as optional extras, but as an essential part of a strong educational experience.

Cocurricular programs should be considered invaluable, because they *are* to our students (and to teachers like me).

Have a read if it’s of interest. I’d be very happy to hear any thoughts or questions in the comments or by messaging me.

260422 Mensa Presentation (B&W).pdf

🎓🗣️📘 TERM 2 CLASSES AND AVAILABILITY 📘🗣️🎓

With Term 2 about to begin, I’m now finalising class groups. Some classes are already full, while others have limited spaces remaining.

**YEARS 9–10**
✦ Monday 5:45pm (space available)

**YEARS 7–8**
✦ Thursday 6:00pm – Chatswood (space available)
✦ Saturday 4:00pm – Gladesville (space available)

**YEARS 5–6**
✦ Monday 4:30pm – St Ives (limited spaces)
✦ Tuesday 3:30pm – Gordon (limited spaces)
✦ Wednesday 4:00pm – Epping (FULL)
✦ Thursday 3:45pm – St Ives (FULL)
✦ Friday 4:15pm – Leichhardt (space available)
✦ Saturday 2:45pm – Gladesville (limited spaces)
✦ Sunday 10:00am – Epping (space available)

**YEARS 3–4**
✦ Monday 3:30pm – St Ives (space available)
✦ Friday 3:30pm – Leichhardt (space available)
✦ Saturday 1:30pm – Gladesville (space available)

At this point, class times and locations have been finalised.

Classes are deliberately kept small to ensure each student has meaningful speaking time and receives individualised feedback each session.

If you are considering enrolling, I would recommend submitting an application soon so I can place your child into a suitable group. New students are welcome to attend their first lesson as a free trial.

You can apply here:
[ https://forms.gle/1v9DYC4Cj9vEukQb7 ]

I review each submission individually and will be in contact by phone shortly to discuss placement and next steps.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me or email me at [ [email protected] ].

Another one of my exstudents!

Australia’s 2026 EGOI Team has been announced 🎉 We’re proud to introduce the four outstanding students representing Australia at the European Girls’ Informatics Olympiad (EGOI): Alexa Wu, Ayana Fridkin, Jenny He and Lucy O'Shea. The team will travel to Cesenatico, Italy in May. This is Australia's 3rd year competing at EGOI 🌍. Congratulations team 🎉 https://egoi2026.it/

🎓🗣️📘 TERM 2 CLASSES AND AVAILABILITY 📘🗣️🎓

Here is the current status of my Term 2 classes. Some classes are now full, while others have limited spaces remaining.

**YEARS 9–10**
✦ Monday 5:45pm (space available)

**YEARS 7–8**
✦ Thursday 6:00pm – Chatswood (space available)
✦ Saturday 4:00pm – Gladesville (space available)

**YEARS 5–6**
✦ Monday 4:30pm – St Ives (limited spaces)
✦ Tuesday 3:30pm – Gordon (limited
✦ Wednesday 4:00pm – Epping (FULL)
✦ Thursday 3:45pm – St Ives (FULL)
✦ Friday 4:00pm – Leichhardt (space available)
✦ Saturday 2:45pm – Gladesville (limited spaces)
✦ Sunday 10:00am – Epping (space available)

**YEARS 3–4**
✦ Monday 3:30pm – St Ives (space available)
✦ Saturday 1:30pm – Gladesville (space available)

I am open to running additional classes in some locations if there's interest. Alternatively, I'm happy to add students to waiting lists for certain classes.

Classes are deliberately kept small to ensure each student has meaningful speaking time and receives individualised feedback each session.

If you would like to apply for a place, you can do so here:
[ https://forms.gle/1v9DYC4Cj9vEukQb7 ]

I review each submission individually and will be in contact by phone shortly to discuss placement and next steps. For new students, I will aim to arrange a free trial lesson where possible.

If you have any questions, feel free to message me or email me at [ [email protected] ].

📢🎓🗣️ TERM 2 ENROLMENTS - SOME SPACES REMAINING 🗣️🎓📢

A quick update on Term 2 enrolments. A couple of classes are now full or close to full, but I still have some places available across the program. I am also considering adding additional sessions where there is sufficient demand.

✦ Years 3-4 Public Speaking and Critical Thinking
✦ Years 5-6 Debating
✦ Years 7-8 Debating
✦ Years 9-10 Debating

My small-group classes focus on helping students think clearly, structure their ideas and speak with confidence. Across the term, students will practise building arguments, responding to others’ ideas and engaging thoughtfully with complex topics.

For older debaters, we also explore current affairs, discuss strategy and develop an understanding of how to work effectively with teammates, opponents and adjudicators.

Classes are held at various locations in Ryde, the North Shore and the Inner West.

If you are considering enrolling, I would suggest submitting an enrolment form so I can tentatively pencil your child in a suitable group. I will then be in contact to arrange a free trial lesson during the Easter holidays.

You can apply here: [ https://forms.gle/1v9DYC4Cj9vEukQb7 ]

If you have any questions, feel free to message me or email me at [ [email protected] ].

G'day! I'm Daniel Judd, and I run Versant Learning.

I'm a former primary and high school teacher with experience across selective, OC, mainstream, and specialist settings for gifted students. Across a teaching career of 25+ years, I’ve focused on supporting students to achieve their potential, with a particular emphasis on the complex and advanced learning needs of gifted learners (including highly gifted and 2E students).

As a teacher, my philosophy has always been that students should be given the right opportunities to develop their interests and strengths, both in and beyond the classroom.

With this in mind, alongside my classroom teaching, I've been heavily involved in a wide range of co-curricular programs, particularly in the language arts. As a public speaking and debating coach, I've worked with highly capable students and contributed to strong results, including success in a range of debating and public speaking competitions.

Versant Learning is my way of extending this work beyond the classroom and providing more students with the opportunity to thrive and succeed.

I currently run small-group programs for:
✦ Public speaking (Years 3-4)
✦ Debating (Years 5-10)

Shortly, I’ll be launching a program for gifted writers, beginning with Years 5-6.

If you'd like to learn more, feel free to get in touch. You can message me on Facebook, or use my e-mail address [ [email protected] ]. We can make time to chat over the phone if you prefer.